


The Hollow One in a Cataclysm of Incertitude

by Magolima



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Blood, College, F/F, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss, Mystery, Original Character(s), Sleep Deprivation, Violence, Winter, because i love winter clothes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:02:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 49,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26106148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magolima/pseuds/Magolima
Summary: Misaki always liked to drink at friday nights, but when she woke up with no memory from last night, she saw herself involved in a mystery that will bring nothing but trouble for her.
Relationships: Hazawa Tsugumi/Hikawa Sayo, Hikawa Hina/Maruyama Aya, Ichigaya Arisa/Toyama Kasumi, Imai Lisa/Minato Yukina, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 38





	1. The Beer Night!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm starting this new serie that I have the intention to finish. I'm not confident in my english skills, so probably you may find many errors,, but I hope you all enjoy reading this story as much I'm enjoy writing It.

### The Beer Night!

The winter is a cold season that awake the desire of the people to stay warm at home and relax the entire day under a kotasu. Unfortunaly, many people can't enjoy this routine during the week, especially those who have to work or study.

"Yaaawn! I though that the week would never end, but friday finally arrived." Misaki streched her arms in relieve, staring at the moon which just raised in the sky while she walk away from the college.

"Waiting the entire week just to drink the entire night and complain your problems. What a health life style you have there, isn't It?" Arisa said sarcastically, wondering how long Misaki will last living like that

"You have no room to judge me Arisa. You don't have to deal with three idiots daily and tiresome college works. There's so much stress in my shoulders that my I started to get backache." Misaki replied with a tired voice. She need at least a night for herself to recover from the 300 page report that her teacher asked for on monday within 3 days and the crazy things her band does that she aways need to keep on watch to avoid them to set fire at Kokoro's pool... Again.

"I get that you have hard weeks, but why I'm the only one do you call to drink with you? I have more things to do besides take care of a drunk person that only complain about her life."

"Of course I can call someone like kanon-san, who wouldn't mind to listen a friend complainings, but Arisa, we're are the two sides of the same coin. You also know the pain of deal with idiot bandmates by yourself." Misaki declared with a inspired speech, grabing Arisa shoulder and pushing her closer.

"Ok, ok, i get it. But you should at least find another way to releave your stress besides going on a drinking spree." Arisa embarassed accepted the praise, removing Misaki's hand from her shoulder to get some distance.

* * *

The two collegues keep walking in a path illuminated by the lights of the commercial district of the area, going toward to their usual bar.

The street was lively as ever with the shopkeepers openings their stores for the new income, college students arriving to enjoy the night and a depressed down headed teal-haired girl alone on a park bench?

Getting closer, the two of them realized that the familar person on the bench was actually Hikawa Sayo.

"Sayo-senpai? Are you alright?" Misaki asked really worried about her senpai. She's one of the last person Misaki know she would expect to be desolated into a bench.

Sayo raised her head in surprise, not expecting for someone call for her in that place. "Oh! Okusawa-san, Ichigaya-san, good night for you two."

"You don't think is way to cold for being here alone? Arisa asked surprised by the guitarist odd behavior.

"I'm alright. I'm just thinking... About life..." Sayo tried to convince them that's nothing wrong, but she couldn't help that her replie sounded like of someone who just lost It's soul.

Neither Misaki and Arisa would be dull enough to buy that lie. It was obvious that something bad happened to her, so they traded a glare and nodded in mutual accordance, agreeing to help her. Abandon their senpai in such state would give them a bad taste in the mouth for the rest of the night.

"Sayo-san, you want to drink together with us?" Misaki asked Sayo, sitting beside her on the bench.

"Are you sure? I don't wanna to interrupt your plans. I'm alright being just by myself."

"You don't need to worry. You seen to had a hard time and there's no better way to wash you problems away than a good beer, besides, Arisa was complaining that I don't call more people to hang out."

"That's not what I mean when I said that, but It works too."

"If It's alright to you, I gladly accept the offer." Sayo got up from the bench with a small smile, joining the two girls who invited her to avoid her worrys for a while.

Now with another member, they once again went towards the usual bar to enjoy their night.

* * *

The group, without any hurry, was calmily walking alonside the pavement. That situation remained like that until thay saw once again a familiar figure with aprouching them by the opositte direction of the sidewalk.

"Oh! What a coincidence~." The one who they randomly encountered was Aoba Moca.

"Aoba-san, what you're doing here? You don't have movie nights with Afterglow on friday?" Misaki friendly asked her, wondering why she's there right now.

When Misaki started the college she got a lot closer of Moca. Since they shared the same train to get at the college they aways end up talking a lot with each other almost every day, knowing well each other on the process. So she coudn't help but to feel curious about her circunstances.

"Unfortunally, most of us were busy tonight and some other stuff happened." While replying Misaki's question, Moca quickly gazed at Sayo for a few seconds without anyone realize. "In resume, Moca-chan have nothing to do tonight."

"Well, I hope you find something to do. See you on monday."

Saying good-bye, Misaki tried to pass trough Moca to get back on the track, but Moca took a step and got on the way. In response, Misaki tried to avoid the girl in front of her, but once again Moca get in the way, stopping her to go futher.

"*Sigh *- You want to come with us?" After being stopped many times, Misaki just gave up and surrendered to Moca's will, inviting her to not waste more mental integrity that was already low after the week.

"If you want so much being beside Moca-chan, It can't be helped."

"You aways pick up girls on the street when you hang out?" Sayo questioned Misaki and Arisa about the suspicious behavior they're showing.

"In my defense, today was the first time this hapenned." Misaki quickly defended herself, besides her also don't knew to explain why those things are happening today.

"I only hope that we don't find another person on our way. I have a bad feeling that the things will turn really chaotic If more people join this 'team'." Arisa expressed her worrys while they come back to their path.

* * *

"Me and my big mouth." Arisa cursed herself, regretting for saying those words earlier.

In front of the group there's a familiar white-haired foreigner girl who was once again just casualy walking and bumped into them by accident.

"why are you four together? Perhaps that's some kind of bushido secret mission?" Eve confused by the sight of such unusual group, completely misunderstood the situation with something really more exiting than what It actually is.

"There's no secret mission. We're just goint to the bar to drink after a long week." Misaki is already used to deal with her bandmates crazy thoughts, so she quickly denied Eve's misuderstanding with all her madness managment skills.

"So you guys are going to have a hang out to celebrate a week of battles just like the samurais after big conflicts. That's so bushido! Can I join your celebration?"

"Sigh... Ok, you can join us, but you need to walk fast, because I don't want to have any other random encounter before we arrive." Arisa was already tired of dealing with so many people just to get in a bar that's just 15 minutes from the college, so she just let Eve join them without any struggle.

* * *

After so many interruptions, taking somehow the double of the time It should really be, the group finally arrived at the bar which Misaki and Arisa frequent.

Opening the bar's door, they could see a mixed japanese and classical western style establishment. There are a classic bar counter and many tables of each style.

"Whoah! That bar is trully beatiful." Eve's eyes widened by the amazing sight. She was sure delighted by the japanese part being like the bars of the historical movies she saw.

"I have to agree. When Okusawa-san said we're going to a bar just to drink I wasn't expecting something so stylish. Sayo agreed with the prevois statment, expressing her surprise by her low expectations being shattered.

"That bar is one of the bests near the college and the owner is my acquaintance, so me and Ichigaya-san aways have the same table booked only for us every friday." Misaki explained why she choosed specifically this bar.

"That means we don't need to pay anything, right~?" Moca was already with a big smile just by imagining eating a lot without spend one cent.

"That's not Hazawa cafe Aoba-san, so is better to choose wiselly what you gonna order."

After ending the talk they finally went to their table. Everyone ordered beer, exept Eve that ordered sake, so after waiting for a bit their drinks arrived.

"I'm not used to drink with friends like that. What you usually do during the night?" Sayo asked a little embarassed. She felt a bit dislocated in such enviroment, didn't knowing to act propely in such event.

"You just need to complain about your life or listen another people complaining about their's" Arisa replied her senpai, joking about how her and Misaki usually spend the night.

"But you don't need to worry about It right now. Let's just drink as we desire." After putting down Sayo's worrys, Misaki lifted her beer mug to start the night.

Following Misaki's action, everyone brought their drinks together to toast, setting then the beginning of a long nigh-.

* * *

**Darkness...**

Misaki was surounded by darkness. She tried to open her eyes, but nothing changed. She don't know why she's there and how she can escape from this situation. She could only wait while enveloped by this cold darkness.

Misaki then keep into her motionless state until a signal finally came. A light, Misaki could see a small light source comming above her. That was enought to switch on Misaki's desire to leave that darkness.

As Misaki tried to reach the light, she realized that the drakness is way more cold and dense than she though. She was somehow digging her way out, reaching the light that grew more and more as she open the path by herself.

After so much struggle, Misaki finally arrived at the light, but wehen she get out of the darkness she saw that she was in a completely white environment with some trees that seens familiar. After processing a little, Misaki realized that she was in a park she knew and that she was burried in a really big snowdrift this whole time.

But there's a thing she still don't get...

"why I'm here...?"


	2. The Beginning of a Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misaki wake up surrounded by snow. How and why she end up there? She also want to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the last chapter was kinda a prologue, this one is kinda the introduction that will define the plot that the fic surrounds.

### The Beginning of a Mystery

The day just started and already was a really strange one. For some reason Misaki woke up inside a snowdrift on the middle of a park that is not even a little close from her house, having to dig her way out, but what bothered her the most was the fact she don't renember a thing of what happened last night.

But It's not time worry about the past. Now she need to find a way to gew down from where she is now. Trying to find a good position to slide the way down, Misaki realized that the snow aroud her and from the hole she came out had a reddish coloration in comparation the completely white snow from the rest of the park.

Getting close for a better observation, Misaki felt a ironish smell coming out the reddish snow, blood smell to being more specific. The revelation of that snow was actaully covered in blood really shocked Misaki, but when she abruptly moved away in surprise she sudently felt a intense pain from her entire body back, specially from her back.

"Gasp, gasp."

After the the pain got a little better and Misaki was able to move again, she finally realized that her body was covered in bandages. She could see blood stains on her clothes and some blood dripping from the bandages, probably from some wound that hasn't closed yet.

Knowing that the blood on the snow was actually her's and the real state from her body do not change the fact that she need to get out from there. Then Misaki carefully pushed the snow with her arms to get a inpulse to slided down from the snowdrift.

Everything went smoothly, Misaki was ready to the landing, but when she finally reached the gound she felt a horrible pain, now on her left foot. She laeaned on the snow to recover from the pain, looking to her foot only to see that was in a angle that any foot should't be.

Sighing tiredly, Misaki leaned her head too, facing the sky while she think how she will solve this situation. She knows that she need to put that foot back on It's place, but It also gonna hurt as hell, so she need to be prepared to feel some pain. Luckly for her, the things that Misaki is the best at is deal with pain and overlook her own health.

Misaki then took a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh air and grabbing her foot ready to fix It. She felt her hands trembling in nervousness, but she can't go back now. Gathering all her guts, Misaki finally gave the eletric response to their arms in order to move and fi-

**Crack**

Misaki only heard a grotesque sound that came together with a equaly grotesque pain.

"Aaaaargh!!!"

She did It. Misaki successfully put her foot back on It's place. Of course It was a completely irresponsible action, If Kanon was here she certainly would be scolding her right now, she is aways worried that Misaki don't properly take care of her own body.

Taking a 5 minutes break to rest of such unpleasant situation, Misaki recovered enough energy to stand by her own foot.

Finally getting up, Misaki quickly searched the pockets from her pants and coat searching for her cellphone, but unfortunaly all of them were empty.

"Great! Waking up injured, with no memories and no cellphone. Today is really my lucky day." Thinking that the day couldn't get worse Misaki suddenly saw a light comming from the snow not to far from her.

Getting closer the light, Misaki now could clearly see that It was actually a blue bottle of some kind of alcoholic drink that was reflecting the sunlight. She picked the bottle of a drink called 'Moon's Butterfly Tears' and suddenly started to feel a enormous headache as a lot of fragmented images pop up on her mind.

Image after image, Misaki saw what she understood as memory fragments that she lost. Unfortunaly to her, all of them were just from a bartender of the bar she went yesterday that she couldn't see the face, but what called Misaki's attention the most was the fact the drink that he was preparing was exactly the one she is holding right now.

"I think you will help me to find out what happened last night." Declared Misaki, staring directly to the bottle.

**Moon's Butterfly Tears obtained.**

With her goal setted Misaki immediataly ran towards the bar, but she had to stop after just a few seconds. She realized that her body couldn't even walk properly, so running It's way too painful to go sprinting to anywhere.

* * *

Misaki's acquaintance bar. 5 AM. Saturday.

When Misaki arrived at the bar the door was locked, but she knew that are still people inside until 6 AM, so she knocked the door to call someone inside. She waited for one minute until she heard the sound of the door being unlocked.

"I'm sorry we're closed right now. If you want som-" The person that came out was a tall black haired man around his fortys with a shallow beard, arriving aready speaking a premade speech to costumers who arrive by that time, but he stopped as soon he realized that the one he was speaking with was Misaki. "Misaki-chan, so it's you... Come in."

Misaki followed him to the bar counter where she took a seat and he came back to wash the tableware.

"Gotou-san, why you let me in? The bar is not closed?" Misaki asked to him, joking about how he let her inside because of favoritism.

"Stop the jokes Misaki-chan. You already looked to yourself? Say that you're in a horrible state would be a euphemism, and I also know If you're here It's because you want to ask me something, aren't you?"

"You're sharp as ever." Misaki already had the feeling that he knew why she was here. Then she grabbed the bottle she found earlier and placed on the counter. "I think you know this drink."

"If I know It? I made this drink, This one specifically is on the list of drinks I don't sell in this bar. I just prepare It for special occurrences."

"If is that so. Why do you served It for me?"

"It's expected you don't know why, I don't blame you." Stopping washing the tableware, Gotou looked with a serious expression to Misaki. "I gonna tell you what you forgot."

* * *

Around 3 AM Gotou was cleaning his bar with the help of a few employers from the night shifit. During this time of the night most of the customers already left, except some drunk people that end up drinking too much and fall asleep on the bar, but they will be sended home soon.

It was a usual night of friday for him, but when he was scrubbing the floor the door bell ranged and he turned towards the door in order to see who might have arrived in such time.

He was expecting that the person was someone who came to retrieve something or someone left behind. Instead, what he saw was one of the regulars of the bar that he know very well covered in bandages and injuires.

"Misaki-chan! Are you are alright?" He approach her in order to know how she was. Even with the bandages covering her body, he could see that some of the wounds were visibly deep.

"No, I'm not alright..." 

"How you hurt yourself this much? You should go to the hos-"

"This wounds are nothing..." Misaki cut off Gotou's suggestion, sitting in front of the bar counter. "I just committed the worst crime of my entire life. it's weighting so much that I do not even feel this scratches."

Gotou looked at Misaki's eyes. They were the eyes of someone scared and desperate. Misaki is a strong girl, so whatever she did, to be able to haunt her so much, must be no joke.

"So you want to drink until forget what heppened?."

"..."

"I will take your silence as a 'yes'."

He know a way to made Misaki forgot what she did, but he don't know if It's the right choice to do. After years dealing with drunk people, he learned you should never escape from your problems, they aways end up coming back to harm you.

Everything indicated that made her forget is not a good idea. That would be the rational decision to do, but seeing his customer that is aways so lively when she come to drink at friday's nights into such state and don't accepting her request is really hard. She's so traumatized by what she did that she even called her wounds 'scratches'.

It must be because he is too soft hearted, but Gotou decided to trust Misaki. He already heard her complaining about her problems enough times to know that she is a capable person who the people tend to rely on, so he believes that she will be able to resolve this problem even if she forget about the problem Itself.

"Misaki-chan, that drink is called 'Moon's Butterfly Tears'. If you drink It you will certainly forget what happened to you, but I want you to know that drinking It means when you have to face again what you did, you won't be ready. Are you sure you want to do It?

Misaki take a minute to think and finally answered. "Yes..."

* * *

"So you drinked It all and I aked you to go to the hospital after you leave."

Misaki started to regain those memories as Gotou tell her why she loose her memories together with a great headache for each memorie.

"Looks like every time I remember something my hangover only get worse."

"At least you're having one. If you had feeling nothing It would be worrisome."

"Of course I feel It, my body hurts just by moving It and that hangover didn't help either."

"I think you shouldn't worry that much about It, because If you're here It means that your wounds aren't that bad. The hospital woudn't leave someone as severely injuried as you look wander by Itself."

"Well... Actually I woke up buried in snow in the middle of the park close from here, so I think I didn't make It to the hospital." Feeling embarassed for telling not one of her proudests stories and betraying Gotou's trust, Misaki tried to avoid visual contact, giving a dry laugh.

"I'm starting to regret giving you that drink..."

"It isn't too soon to gave up from me? I can be a little hurt, but It's nothing I can't handle, so you don't need to worry."

" _little hurt_... Misaki-chan you won't last long If continue to treat yourself like that."

After Misaki heard Gotou's warning she coudn't help but to giggle. What he said is the same thing Kanon aways say to her after she push herself to harsh, so Misaki find really funny how she was able to find friends that really care abour her.

"What is so funny?" Gotou asked curious by Misaki's suddendly action.

"It's just that you really resembled one my bandmates right now."

"So I presume that bandmate is really wise and charming. Oh! Talking about frinds of yours..." Gotou following the topic of the conversation turned his back to Misaki to open a drawer which he took something out and trew towards her. "One of your friends forgot It on the table yesterday."

Misaki skillfuly cathched the object that was trowed to her, opening her hand to see that she was grabbing a scarf, but she don't recognize from who.

"You can tell that friend's appearance?"

"Unfortunaly I can't. I had some business to do last night, so I only arrived when you already had left with your friends."

Misaki take a deep look on the scarf on her hands trying to remember whose from her friends was wearing It. 

"Last night was a really cold one, so your friend must had a hard time with any strong breeze."

"Breeze..." That words echoed inside Misaki head until something switched on inside her mind and once again fragments from past events emerged from locked parts of her memory.

* * *

Misaki was walking alone somewhere dark with only a few light sources coming from above really far from each other. She was walking straight foward for a long time folowing the lights until she loose her balace and started to fall.

"Be careful to not trip."

A hand came out from the darkness and grabbed her shoulder, consequently stopping the colision route of her head against the floor.

"We're almost there so try to.......................You got It?"

Misaki nodded to the hand. She coudn't see the rest of the hand's body because It was hidden in the shadows, but she could tell that It was a trusthworth hand If you know how to deal with It.

They keep walking on that dark place. It looked like they were there for a eternity, despite the hand saying they're almost there. They only stopped that endless walk when a strong breeze came across them, being cold enough to make her body chiver.

"Those winds are getting really cold. If........At least.....................It woudn't be so bad" The hand seens to be trying to hold something on the neck of the hand's body.

Misaki somehow understand the meaning behind the hand's actions and started to show off her scarf for her five membered companion.

"Misaki-chin is really enjoying your scarf........................You want to share It with Moca-chan?"

After Misaki heard the question she started to see her companion not as a hand with a hidden body but as a body with just the hand visible. When she finally realized It, the shadow started to leave the body, revealing a figure she know well...

Aoba Moca.

* * *

"Misaki-chan, are you feeling well?" Gotou asked worried about Misaki being static with the hand on the forehead for some time.

"Yes, It was just some memories comming back." Remembering the owner from the scarf Misaki opened a new path to achieve the truth about what she had done.

"I think I know where I should go now to discover what happened last night. And this scarf gonna help me."

**Moca's scarf obteined.**

"Misaki-chan... What are you doing?" Gotou asked Misaki with a complicated face like he doesn't know how to propely react.

"What do you mean?" Misaki asked him doesn't knowing why he would do such a question she didn't anything abnormal.

"Well... You just raised the scarf on that air like It was somekind of a game equipment that you just took out from the chest."

"I-I was really doing that?" Misaki could feel her cheeks getting hotter in embarrassment. She never would expect she was doing something like this without even realizing It. "I think I still have a lot alcohool on the blood..."

They passed one minute into a akward silence trying to ignore what just happend. But they coudn't keep It forever, so Misaki moved toward the door decided to go to her next destination as soon as possible.

"Misaki-chan, wait a minute!" Gotou managed to call Misaki's attention before she leaves the bar. "I can't help you on your jorney, but I can't handle doing nothing after being the one who made you forgot what you did, so I wish you could take this present to help in your mission even by a little."

Gotou trow something with a rectangular form direct to Misaki. She luckly catched It between her fingers before it hit her face, but she couldn't believe on the present she just got. "That is! A coupon for itens for the eldery?"

"My old man received one, but he is to prideful to use It, so he gave It to me."

"Now I get what you mean by help even by a little, but I will try to make a good use of It."

Gotou looked to Misaki and gave her a big thumbs up. "Wish you luck"

"Thanks."

Misaki finally leave the bar to face once again the cold streets which she gonna pass many times that day. Everything to remember something that shouldn't had been forgotten.

"Let's go scarf, to Aoba residence!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I beg to no one follow Misaki's example to how treat your own body or Dr. Kanon will be angry at you.
> 
> P.S: Every Misaki's odd behavior you will see is explained by alcohol and lack of sleep.


	3. Dealing With Aobas

### Dealing With Aobas

Since Misaki leave Gotou's bar she already took a train and walked for some time just to arrive at Moca's house. honestly, she don't know exactly where she lives, but somehow she knew the way she had to take to get there, she probably crossed that same path last night and subconsciously memorized the way.

"Since when did Tokyo became Hokkaido?!"

When Misaki finally arrived where Moca supposedly live, instead of a normal street she faced a snow ocean. She knew that snowed last night, but she had no idea that snowed that much on the entire city. Seeing the state of the way she have to take, It's no surprise that she was burried so deep in the snow.

Misaki really wanted a shovel that moment, but she had no choice but to face the forces of the nature with her own forces. There are so much snow accumulated that was enough to almost cover her entire leg, but she still need to go foward.

"I never though I would have such hard time with snow on the city." Murmuring for herself Misaki had to do a great effort only to move a single leg against the snow. "I think I'm gonna lose some time here..."

"Finally *Gasp*. I finally arrived *Gasp*." After using her entire energy and taking ten minutes to cross a two minutes path Misaki finally was in front of Moca's house.

Misaki take a time to catch her breath again and went towards the door. She ring the doorbell but no one came, she waited there for some minutes without any sign of life. Actually It was expected, almost no one would be awake this early on a saturday morning.

Without any idea about what to do to enter the house, Misaki suddenly heard some steps comming from inside, so she knocked the door trying to call for the person inside.

"It's open!" Misaki heard a loud voice coming from inside, allowing her to enter the house, so without a second thoughs she open the door.

"Wait! Don't enter now!" At the same time that Misaki heard the warning she also saw a baseball coming directly to her face. She only had time to move head a little, trying to avoid the collision. Lucky, she managed to evade the ball that crossed half inch away from her head. She wouldn't like to get even more injured that she already is.

"I'm sorry! I forgot to tell you about It." Just recovered from the shock of almost being targeted by a baseball Misaki turned her head towards the voice. When she saw the person on the door Misaki's eyes widened, standing in front of her there was a young woman who looks like on her twenty years with her medium ivory blonde hair blowed by the cold winds of the winter. Misaki could only feel her heart beatting faster seeing such beautiful person so close from her.

"P-Perdon my intrusion, but is Aoba-san is available to talk right now?" Misaki regained her composure and without waste any time she declared her intentions to the person in front of her.

"Aoba-san? Ah! You mean Moca. That means you're Moca's friend, right?"

"Yes, she forgot her scarf on the ba-*coff* Restaurant yesterday, so I came here to give It back."

"What a prestative girl. I would like to call Moca here to see you, but she left somewhere really early today."

"Knowing her, she must be going to Yamabuki Bakery."

"I don't think so. She recently bought a lot of jelly breads, so she must have some with her right now."

"I see..." Her mission just become even more difficult. Misaki had hope that Moca would know something about yesterday, she aways seens to know everyone secret in order to get favors from them, but obviously the universe wouldn't be so kind with her. 

Seeing Misaki's exausted expression the woman on the door could feel that she had passed through a lot, so she decided to let her rest inside the house. She isn't the type of person who could let someone like that outside on a such cold morning, especially a Moca's friend. 

"It's frezing here, so why don't we go inside?"

"If you don't mind."

Misaki gladly accepted the offer and they went inside the house. The first thing she realized when she entered the residence was the fact that the entire place was smelling like bleach, but that's not something uncommon, they could be cleaning the house, so she decided to not mention it, but there is something that Misaki couldn't help but to ask about.

"Why do you have a machine that trows baseballs at the guests." Misaki pointed out to a dangerous looking machine close to the door.

"It's the security system, but I aways forgot to turn It off when I ask to someone open the door. Hehehehe!"

Misaki couldn't help but to find that embarassed laugh really cute, even tough she laughed like It wasn't a really worrisome and dangerous situation.

Normally no one use a machine that you aways forget to turn off as a security system, but they're into Aoba's residence, so Misaki just accepted . She already is a expert in ignoring crazy stuff around her, otherwise she would went crazy a long time ago after coexist with Kokoro for so much time, so she just glad that she wouldn't become another victm from a high speed flying ball.

"Misaki-chan, can you please let the scarf on Moca's room, It's the first one up the stairs."

"Understood. But how did you know my name?" Asked Misaki suspicious by the fact she know her name.

"Of course I would know your name. After all, It's a mother's job to know who are your daughter's friends, don't you think?"

"I see... That explains why do you know my na... **MOTHER!!!** "

Such revelation came to Misaki like a hundred anvils falling over her head. The woman who looks younger than her, who was so gorgeous that made her heart beat faster, who the laugh was one of the cutests that she ever heard, was actually her friend's mother the whole time. Misaki doesn't even know If she can process that information entirely. 

"I didn't told you?" She thought she had said who she is, but now she remembered she was so focused into to apologize that she even forgot about introduce herself.

"I knew that Moca don't have any sibling, so I assumed that you were her cousin. I would never expect her mother to look younger than me."

"Hehehehe! You don't need to force yourself to praise me like that." Moca's mother started to feel embarassed by such honests praises that she usually don't receive.

"I-I'm just telling the thruth."

"I would love If my family was kind like you Misaki-chan, but I think that by just knowing that my daughter has such a good girl on her band is enough to satisfy me."

"Thanks for the compliment, but actually we're actually not in the same band."

"Of course, of course, It was just a joke. You're the one who share the same train with her, right?"

Nodding to Ms.Aoba afirmation, Misaki decided to end their talk for now and finally go up stairs to the Moca's room. Opening the door, Misaki couldn't see a thing, because the curtains were closed. Finding unnecessary to turn on the light, she decided to open the curtains to let the light come in.

It would a simple task If she wasn't so unlucky today. When Misaki tried to take a step foward to the window, something got stuck on her feet, mading her lost the balance and fell. Of course the universe made Misaki hit her head on the table of all places.

She grabbed her head and started to agonize on the floor in pain. Misaki waited until the pain go away to try reach the window again, but with double the caution now. When she open the curtains and the place was illuminated by the sunlight Misaki could saw the compleat mess that was Moca's room, the bed was completally messed up and there are clothes all over the floor and furnitures.

"How many hoodies Aoba-san have? She should had at least cleaned her room before she leaves."

Seeing the state of the room and feeling that she was somehow intruding someone's personal space, Misaki decided to clean that entire mess to compensate her intrusion. It's not really a big deal to her, Misaki was used to clean her siblings room when they were young, besides she also don't want to someone else to pass by the same painful experience as her.

Misaki take about ten minutes to make the bed and pick up all the clothes from the floor, but when she finally picked the last one, she saw two cellphones under It. She quickly recognized one of them as her own phone and the other must be the Moca's one.

"So It was here the entire time."

**Misaki's cellphone obtained.**

Turning on her phone, Misaki tried to search for any clue that could help her to find out what hapenned last night. She tried to call to everybody who were in the bar together with her, but no one awnsered her calls, probably they must be asleep right now.

Misaki got stuck in her thoughts, don't knowing how to find out what crime she commited yesterday. She had hope that Moca would know something, but she let her phone behind and her whereabouts are unknown, so It's impossible to Misaki talk with her. That troublesome situation lead Misaki to reluctantly resort to her last resourse.

Then Misaki called the person who she always talk when she is in trouble and need some advices. She is a little reluctant doing that, because she already was scolded for getting in trouble after drinking too much, so Misaki didn't wanted to disturb this person this early of the morning for something she already was warned about.

A few a seconds have passed and no one awnsered the call. That wouldn't mean a lot, but at this time of the day If someone don't answer immediately means that the person mustn't be awake. But when Misaki was almost losting her hope, the other person finally awnsered the call.

"Thanks for awnsering Kanon-san."

" _Misaki-chan It's you? Yaaawn~ That means you're already sober_."

"Already sober? How did you knew I was drunk before?" Once again looks like Misaki is the only one who doesn't know anything about what she did yesterday.

" _Misaki-chan, you called me on the middle of the night to talk. You were so drunk that I got worried about you getting involved into something troublesome again, so I slept with my phone expecting you to call over me again when you were in your senses again_."

"You're really a life saver Kanon-san." Misaki doesn't know what she did on her past life to deserve a angelic friend like Kanon. Now she have another great story to tell into the monthly Kanon's appreciation club meeting. Chisato always eager to file new ones on the record.

" _You don't need to thank me. You need my help for something, right?_ "

"Unfortunately, yes. When I woke up today I couldn't renember a thing about last night, so If you can tell me what I told you while drunk I can get a clue about what happened, everything can help." Misaki hidden the fact her body is covered in wounds and she commited a terrible crime last night. She doesn't want to worry Kanon even more than she already is.

" _I don't know If It will be really helpful, but If you say everything can help, so I don't mind telling you_."

"Thank you Kanon-san, so what did I said to you?"

" _Well... You called me and started to say phrases like 'Hello everyone', 'How are you? Fine, thank you' or even 'I wish I were a bird'_."

"..." The silence is the only sound Misaki could reproduce at this moment. Why she was talking with Kanon in english? Her worst subject is english. She doesn't even want to know from which place of her brain those phrases come from and what the heck she meant with 'I wish I were a bird'? That doesn't even match with her character characterization. 

" _I tried to ask If you were alright, but you said you needed throw up, then you turned off the call._ "

That last information got Misaki's attention. When she woke up she doesn't saw any sing of throwing up. Usually she would feel her throat burning on the morning, but if she really have thrown up It would explain a lot of things, like the strong bleach smell on Moca's house, but she don't think that throwing up on a friend's house would be enough to be considered a crime, because she have done many things worse than that.

* * *

It was a cloudy day and no birds could be seen flying in the sky. Misaki and her frieds were going to Yamabuki Bakery to Rimi's surprise birthday part-

* * *

 _No, I don't want to remenmber that day again._ Misaki said to herself, hitting her head against the wall, trying to push away the one thing in her brain she really want to forget.

" _Sorry Misaki-chan, I think that wasn't not what you're expecting_."

"You don't need to apologize Kanon-san. It's my fault for being incomprehensible while drunk."

" _If there is anything I can do you only need to ask, ok?_ "

Hearing Kanon's words, Misaki renembered the matter she was stuck a few minutes ago.

"Kanon-san, I think I need your advice."

Then Misaki started to explain how she couldn't contact anyone who she drink with and she doesn't know how to proceed her search for her lost memories.

" _Hmm... I think you should go to Sayo-chan's house, knowing her, she must have drinked moderately, so she mighty be able to tell you what happened yesterday, besides she's the type$ of person who wake up early, so If you go there by now she mighty be awake_."

"You're really a life saver Kanon-san."

" _You already said that Misaki-chan_."

Misaki could hear Kanon chuckling from the other side of the phone.

"Thank you for everything Kanon-san. When I get my memories back I will make sure to tell you.

" _Wish you luck_."

Turning off the call, Misaki journey got a new quest to achieve the thruth. Then she left the scarf on the bed and quickly leaved the room to no waste any time of her 'mission', because she wants to be resting in her home as soon as possible.

"Misaki-chan, are you leaving already?"

"Yes, I already returned the scarf and Moca is not here right now, I need to go to another place too."

Moca's mother then placed herself between Misaki and the door, crossing her arms to insert dominance.

"Misaki-chan, you can't leave like that. You're way to pale, I bet you haven't eat your breakfast today."

"Tsk." Ms.Aoba saw completely through her, but Misaki wouldn't give up that easily, so she will try her best to persuade the woman in front of her. "You don't need to worry, I already ate my break-."

Grrroooooooowwllll!

"Coffee or tea?" Spreading a big smile, Moca's mother felt triumphant by winning the discussion, even though she did nothing to win.

"Coffee... A black one please..." Misaki almost wasn't able to answer after her spirit being completely destoyed and shattered in many pieces by the embarassment she felt for being sabotaged by her own body.

Misaki was lead to the kitchen and started to drink the coffee that was served to her while she watched Moca's mother cooking something. She haven't realized It before, maybe because she was in such a hurry, but the look of her friend's mother was different in comparasion when she first meet her. Now she's dressing a cute green chessed apron over her white long sleeve shirt and Misaki could see that her beautiful hair was slightly wet, that means while Misaki was in Moca's room she was taking a bath-.

Slap.

Misaki quickly slaps herself with all her mighty to stop her thoughts to going further. How could she almost imagined a mother of a friends naked on the bath? What's wrong with her today?! Maybe all the alcohol she drunk yesterday must be affecting her brain, there is no other explanation.

"Misaki-chan, It's okay If you don't want to talk about It, but do you mind telling me what happened you?" Still cooking, Moca's mother questioned Misaki, worring about her condition.

"I thought you were ignoring It."

"I realized you were in hurry, so I tried to not burden you with questions, but since you will eat here I can't just ignore someone covered in wounds like you."

Feeling the worry in her voice, Misaki couldn't help but to tell her what she remember that happened last night.

"I see... I only arrived at home this morning, so I can't tell you what you did here."

"This morning?" Misaki just heard something really off.

"Yes, me and my husband were on a vocation for the week. We arrived just a hour before you knoked the door, but you don't need to worry, I'm not sleepy at all." 

"For some reason I'm getting a little worried right now."

"It's not time for It, because the the breakfest is ready." Ms.Aoba placed on the table a plate with the most majestic pancake Misaki saw in her entire life. A tall pancake with a vibrant red strawberry on the top surounded by chantilly with waterfalls of syurp beautifuly following the gavity, creating a masterpiece of gastronomy that catch Misaki's attention so intensively that she doesn't even realized she was leaking a huge amount of drool on the table.

"I'm not confident in my cooking skills, so If you don't like you don't need lie about the taste. I'm just happy for not left you starving."

Dumbfounded by that declaration, Misaki just didn't refute her on the spot, because she had to deal with her endless drooling problem first. Then she used her fork and take a piece of the splendid pancake and move It towards her mouth.

Chomp.

After eating this piece, Misaki loose the strengh of body and fell over the table like a corpse.

"Misaki-chan!" Startled by the situation, Moca's mother rushed to Misaki's side and proceed to furiously shaking her, but she didn't exhibited any reaction "I-I'm so sorry for letting you eat my food Misaki-chan, but It's too late to apologize now, because y-you're dea-."

Suddenly Misaki's dead body raised It's hand and covered Ms.Aoba mouth. "I'm not dead. I only lost the control of my body a little."

"Because the taste was too ba-

"Because It tasted too good."

It was literally the last thing Ms.Aoba expected to hear. She never was praised by her cooking before.

"I didn't had a properly meal the entire week. I was so busy that I only hot food I ate was instant noodles, so when I ate your pancake the taste was so good that my body end up relaxing way too much. Then you don't need to be so harsh to yourself Ms.Aoba, because your pancake was the tastier one that I already ate in my entire life."

After Moca's Mother received such honest praise, a strange and familiar feeling was making her heart race. She put her hand in her chest and renembered this warm feeling she felt a long time ago, the feeling of falling in love.

Couldn't be able to hold herself, Ms.Aoba slowly approached Misaki and hugged her neck, envolving her head on her chest.

"Ehhhhh! What are you doing Ms,Aob-."

"Shhhhh~." She cut off Misaki's words. "Call me Hana."

"What! Wh-."

"Call me Hana."

"H-Ha-Hana-san, w-."

"Just Hana." She wispered her wish on Misaki's ear.

"H-Hana, when will you stop hugging me?" Misaki didn't know how much she can still handle her head burried on Hana's chest. She was so embarassed that she mighty pass out any moment.

Hana finally released Misaki from her hug, but to the college student surprise, instead getting away, Hana sitted on Misaki's lap.

"Misaki-chan, you were the first person who praised my food. My husband and daughter aways eat what I cook, but they eat like It was a obligation and never once told me that they liked It, so after receiving your kind words I could't help but fall for you."

Misaki mind was overheating, she don't like to be rude, but If she doesn't manage to need to push Hana away, her mental health will be in danger, so once again she need to try persuade the person on her lap.

"It's better to not get this close to me. My clothes are bloodstained and I mighty be smelling like alcohol too."

"I don't mind get dirty and the smell of blood surpass the alcohol one, besides..." Hana approached her head to Misaki and sniffed her hair. "Your blood kinda smell really good,"

Misaki got so startled by those words that she did even forget to pay mind the fact she was smelling like blood all this time. She really don't know how to get away from this situation anymore, maybe the only thing she's able to do for now is follow the flow.

"You're so hurt Misaki-chan, I think I should help you to eat to not tire your arms." Hana than grabbed the fork that Misaki dropped earlier and took a piece of the pancake. "Say ahhhh!."

With the mind in a deplorable state, Misaki didn't resisted the temptation of a delicious food like that one, so she just aceppted being feeded like that, even though It only worsen her embarassment.

Like a furnace, Misaki was steaming so much that would enough to warm the entire house. She started to think she actually never leaved the snowdrift and she's still sleeping inside there, because If someone told her that she would being feeded my a friend's mother who suddenly got way too interested in her, she would say that It would be impossible to happen, but here she is.

Without any resistence, Misaki keep being feeded like a pampered child until Hana stopped half way through. Then she changed her position on Misaki's lap in order to face the DJ.

Misaki don't know why Hana did that. She was just staring directly at her in complete silence. Withou break the silence, she started to approach her head dangerously close to Misaki's.

"Why she's getting this close?" Misaki questioned Hana's behavior, didn't knowing the purpose behind her actions. Her doubt only was enlightened when she realized a strange moviments on Hana's lips.

_She want to kiss me!!!_

Misaki started to go crazy, she already tought that being feeded like that was really wrong, but kiss a friend's mother is something unforgiveble to do. She wouldn't be able to face Moca again If she do that.

She tried to struggle, but her entire body was paralyzed, she coudn't even turn her head away. As Hana's face get closer Misaki started to reflect about the current situation.

Why Hana want to kiss her? She really love her that much? If she really love her, she would be able to reciprocate those feelings?... No... She can't do that, she can't accept those feelings, she don't deserve being loved, she can't make her happy, she can't make anyone happy, she don't need that love, she can't love, she don't, she can't, she dont...

**She can't.**

Hana got closer to Misaki's face, using her mouth to clean a small piece of chantilly on Misaki's mouth corner that got stuck while she eated the pancake.

"There was chantilly in your fac-." When Hana looked to Misaki's face she got shocked, running out of words. She saw a face in pain, like It was feeling a enormous pain with a single tear coming out from her left eye.

"I-I'm sorry Misaki-chan, I only wanted to play a little with you. I didn't know I would hurt you so much... You must had It really hard." Hana hugged Misaki while she keep apologizing repeatedly in regret.

Differently from the other hugs that were strong and provoking, Misaki could feel that specific hug was soft and warm, expressing how worried she was about her.

"Y-Yeah..." Misaki hugged Hana back, embracing this warm that calmed her down.

* * *

"I'm leaving right now, so thank you for food, It was thrully delicious." Wearing her shoes, Misaki was ready to leave the place.

"I can cook any time you want Misaki-chan. Hehehehe." Hana was on besides Misaki, waiting her to leave to turn on the security system again. "You will try to find out what happened to you yesterday, right?"

"That's the plan."

"Wish you luck." With a smile on the face, Hana said her last words to Misaki before she leaves.

"Thanks."

Misaki finally leaved the house to face once again her destiny in those cold streets. Going to Aoba's residence gave her more questions than awnsers, like what she did on the house last night? Why she left her cellphone there? Why a glutton like Moca didn't praise her mother's amazing cook? But you can't solve a mystery with only answers, so those questions will help her to achieve the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone get the true meaning of what Misaki said to Kanon while drunk.


	4. The Sleeping Beauty (but she also is the witch)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, she was watching Super Mario Bros movie. And yes, I really like this movie.

### The Sleeping Beauty (but she also is the witch)

In order to solve the mystery of what crime she commit yerterday, Misaki is heading to Hikawa residence to talk with her senpai. Lucky, this time she don't need to depend on her subconscious to guide herself, because she already been there before to deliver some 'merchandise' for unknown purposes.

While on the middle way to the house, Misaki passed through a combine where she could see a girl with a red stripe on the hair strugling to buy something in the vending machine in front of the store, insisting to insert a 500 yen note, but being reject all times.

"Mitaki-san, need some help?" Misaki decided to stop and help the troubled vocalist.

"Eeeek!" Caught off guard on a embarrasing situation, Ran leaked out a surprised sound.

"Okusawa-san? What are you doing here?" Ran turned back to Misaki only to greet her with a harsh voice.

"I was just passing and thought you needed some help."

"So you can go back to your way. I don't need any help."

Misaki don't know why Ran was being so rude to her, maybe she's angry with something and is subconsciously lashing her stress into her. It's a very understandable situation, even Misaki become like that sometimes after passing the night awake writing college reports, having to releave her stress beating her punch bag that she bought when she had to deal with the stress of her entrance exam, so she won't mind Ran's current behavior.

"You don't need to be so prideful, I have a new 500 yen note, so It mustn't be rejected."

Picking her wallet, Misaki took of the note and standed her hand to Ran, offering her to pick the money. Ran keep staring the note for a while with a troubled expression, like her reason and the pride were fighting inside her head to take the control of the body.

"I guess I will accept your offer." Ran muttered, reluctantly exchanging their notes while supressing her pride.

Then Ran tryed to insert the new note in the machine and It was finally accepted. She choosed two 250 yen hot drinks and waited them to fall, but the impossible happened, the machine didn't released any drink. Japan, the coutry with the lowest percentage of simultaneous broken vending machines and Ran had the luck to pick a broken one.

Ran pressed the button again, again and again, but nothing happened. Losting her hope, Ran started to hit her head against the machine in frustation.

"Wow, that was really bad luck..." Misaki couldn't let Ran keep hitting her head like that, so she decided to cheer her up. 

"Don't be depressed, look at the bright side. You only lost two drinks." Unlike her bandmates who's aways manage to manage to put a smile in someone's face, her atempt only made Ran give her a death glare.

After her failed atempt, Misaki tried to help with Ran in another way. Then she approached the machine, took a deep breath and gave a accurate kick on It's side. The force of the kick on the right place made the machine shake and finally release the two drinks that got stuck inside.

"Ouch! I forgot that my foot was hurt." Misaki instantly regreted kicking It, a punch would as much effective and way less painful.

Passing away the pain, Misaki saw Ran holding the hot drinks she ordered earlier. She's glad that she managed to help the vocalist, lose 500 yen would be really a pain. Ran was silently staring at her, but It's not like Misaki wanted to be thank-.

"Don't look down on me!." Ran angry shouted, cutting off Misaki from her thoughts.

"Eh?" That's definitely not what Misaki was expecting to hear from the girl she just helped.

"I don't need the pity from someone as despicable as you. I could perfectly get the drinks by my own, so you didn't needed to show your 'superiority' over me.

"Superiority, pity? Mitake-san I don't get what you're saying." Misaki just got even more confused, she only stopped to help her, nothing more than that. Was she really acting so despicably?

"Don't play dumb, I know you only see me as a pitful person who can't do anything right, but that is not a excuse to look down on me. I know you think you can act superior over me just because you keep taking precious things from me, but you don't needed to rub it in my face!" 

"What are you talking about Mitake-san? I didn't took nothing precious from you." Unfortunaly, Misaki only realised too late that% she choosed the worst words possible to try calm down Ran, ending up only trowing more gasoline in the fire.

"Nothing precious!? How dare you say that, you bastard!" Getting multiple times angrier after hearing Misaki's attempt to calm her down, Ran closed her hand into a fist and smacked Misaki's face with all her streght.

Being punched on the face like that made Misaki's body static, not because It hurted, (actually Ran don't know how to punch someone, so It didn't hurt at all) but she coudn't move her body because her brain couldn't computate why Ran was so angry with her to even resorting to violence.

Unable to understand the situation, Misaki could only see Ran running away, losing the sight of her after she turned around the corner.

"What the hell just happened?" While wondering how helping a friend end up with her being punched on the face, Misaki started to connect the facts, realizing that Ran could be envolved with the crime she commited last night, theres no other explanation to her angry, but she also said Misaki stole from her more than one time, so she also can have nothing related with the last night case... What a complicated matter. Even so, Misaki still have no idea of what precious things she supposedly stole from her, more than one time.

Misaki decided to not get too worked about It for now. Run after Ran wouldn't be good idea unless she wanted to get punched again, so she decided to keep her way to Hikawa residence. To solve this mystery is better go step by step than try to rush the things.

* * *

After walking for some time, Misaki finally arrived at her destination, but her problems are only starting, bacause she still have to enter the house. According to Kanon, Sayo must be awake already, so Misaki will try to knock the front door... That is open?

When Misaki approuched the house she realized that the door was open. She doubt that was Sayo the one who opened It, she is to responsible to do something like that, so Misaki started to worry about what mighty have happened. She's not the type of person who enters someone's house without permission, but It couldn't be helped this time.

"Sorry for the intrussion. The door was open, is everything alright?" Misaki entered the door and started to call for someone, but no one replied.

Misaki started to wander around the empty house, searching for someone who might had opened the door. "There's no sign of life here, maybe they're on the second flo- Kyaaaa!"

Too focused on her search, Misaki do not pay attention in the floor while passing by the living room, ending up triping into something. Losing her balance, the inertial force easily did It's job, keeping Misaki still in movement, resulting into her body being launched forward, making her hit her head against the wall in front of her

"I can't believe this happened twice today." Misaki couldn't believe that she tripped and hitted her head twice in one day, at least the anger helps to suppress the pain.

Looking back to see on what she tripped over, Misaki got really surprised findind out that she not stumble into a object on the floor, but into person sleeping behind the curtains with the legs spreded over the floor. Misaki immediately recognized the person as her senpai's twin sister, Hikawa Hina.

"Hina-san, wake up. Why are you sleeping here?." Misaki shaked Hina, trying to wake her up, but she didn't show any signals of open her eyes. After trying It for one minute straight, Misaki coudn't take Hina off the dream land, but at least she started to mutter something.

"Onee-chan... Onee-chan..."

"..."

Misaki is not that surprised, everyone knows how much the young Hikawa love her older sister, so It's expected her to dream with Sayo. But Hina's dream gave Misaki a great Idea to wake up the idol guitarrist, so she cleaned her throat and crossed her arms, ready to execute her plan.

"Hina!" Misaki tried her best imitating Sayo's voice, expecting a better reaction from Hina after hearing a familiar voice. Surprisingly, that dumb idea really worked, because Hina started to move a little more after being called. It means that Misaki needed to resemble even more to definitely wake her up.

Seeing that she coudn't wake Hina up just with a bad imitation, Misaki went to the second floor after the real deal. She saw Sayo's room and gently knoked the door to not disturb of her parents sleep, but she not answered despite how many times Misaki knocked.

The door wasn't locked, so she can can enter the room anytime. Misaki don't like the idea of enter someone's room without the person's consent, she really respect personal space, but there was so many crazy things happenig this moring that she's mading a exeption just for today.

"Sayo-senpai, are you awake?" When Misaki opened the door she saw a completely untouched room, like no had used It to sleep. Misaki knew Sayo is the type of person who always clean it's room after waking up, but It also mean she's not in the house right now.

Why Sayo is not in her home? Of course she have the right to leave anytime she wish, but how could she left without close the door and let Hina sleeping behind the curtains, that doesn't something she would do. Misaki came here to get help from her senpai to solve a mystery, but in the end she only get even more questions to think about.

Misaki don't know what happened with the twins, but she know the only way to find It out is waking up Hina and asking her. That task would be way easier If Sayo was around, but without her here to wake up her sister, the only option reamaining to do is try to imitate Sayo well enough to fool her sleeping sister.

Realizing that only changing her voice wouldn't be enough, Misaki decided to looks like Sayo and the way she find to do It was wearing her senpai's clothes. The problem is, Misaki don't see any wardrobe in this room, so searched the room corner to corner, trying to find any hidden button on the wall or a book lever on the bookcase that would open a hidden closet. She kept searching until she realized that the furniture behind Sayo's bed with a plant vase on the top that served as a headboard, actually is a chest with a lock with the key already inside.

Unlocking the lock, Misaki opened It and saw that It was full of clothes piled one on top of the other until fill It entirely, like a teasure chest. How they're are organized Misaki have no idea, but If is Sayo then there should be somekind of organization method she created by herself. Then Misaki decided picked the first one of the pile to wear.

**Sayo's clothes obtained.**

With the clothes picked, Misaki decided to change right there. While removing her coat, she picked a full length mirror under the bed that she found when she was searching the wardrobe to help her to dress. When Misaki leaned the mirror on the wall she remembered that she didn't looked at a mirror since she yesterday, so she was a curious to see her apparence.

"...Now I understand why everyone said I was looking horrible." Misaki saw her own body and almost got scared by It. Maybe It's because she was with the coat the entire time or she coudn't saw It by herself without a mirror, but when Misaki looked at her reflection she saw her clothes covered in rips and blood, especially her shirt, anyone wouldn't believe If she say this shirt actually _was_ white. It looks like a shirt of someone who got into a fight and got stabbed several times during the conflict, although If she really had been stabbed she would be a the hospital right now and the pain would be way worse, she was once stabbed, so she know the difference, although she would rather forget about this occurrence. That means, she still have to find out how she got so injured.

Misaki then removed her ex-white shirt just to see once again how beat up she was. Behind the shirt Misaki saw her torso completely envolved in the same bandages as her arms, legs and head, at least they're not so stained as her shirt. How she get those badages It's a mystery, It's too well done to be done just by herself, that means someone bandaged It for her. Misaki don't know when and how It happened, but she have a feeling that she will need to find out who helped her to find what crime she commited.

After undressing, Misaki picked Sayo's clothes over the bed and started to wear It. The size woudn't be a problem for her, she reached Sayo's height a long time ago after a growth spurt on her second year of highschool, although she still suspect that It wasn't something natural, she's sure there was something mixed on her food on the 'Kokoro's bodyguards training camp' that the suits 'asked' her to take part. Those were the two tiresome weeks of her life.

Finally getting dressed, Misaki looked at herself on the mirror. She didn't have realized before, but wearing someone else clothes is really embarassing, but It's not like she have another choice.

Misaki then get back down the stairs and stood in front of Hina. Imitatting Sayo's crossed arms pose and voice tone, she called the asleep girl. Unlike the last time, Hina had way more reaction, she started to strugle like she didn't want to wake up.

"Onee-chan... Just 5 minutes..."

Trying to wake her up a few more times, Misaki realized that half awake words would be the maximun she can get right now. Misaki got a little flustered for not being able to call Hina off her sleep even after she had the trouble to wear her senpai's clothes, at least she confirmed that looking like Sayo really works even though Hina shouldn't be able to notice her clothe change without open her eyes.

In order to wake up Hina, Misaki have to resemble Sayo futher than wearing the same clothes, so to achieve that she need to go to the place with the strongest Sayo's essence, even more than her own room. She once again went upstairs, but insted stopping in front of Sayo's door she turned to left of the and went towards Hina's room.

Misaki nervously holded the door knob, she don't know what to expect to find inside there, but she's sure It will be something at least bizarre, If not creepy. After getting ready mentally, she carefully opened the door.

"I can't say I not expected that, but what a creepy room." Misaki coudn't help but comment her impression of the place.

At a first look It looks like a room that wasn't cleaned in weeks, but soon as you turn your head you will be able to see a desk that looks more like a alchemy table, It's the first time Misaki saw so many different flasks in a single place, but that's not the worst part, because more creepy than that desk is the shelf which there's a altar full of Sayo photos and felt dolls that Misaki made. She should have suspected that Hina would do something like that with the dolls she ordered, Misaki now is scared about what she will do with the real scale doll she ordered for her.

Pretending she didn't see any of that, Misaki entered to room after something that can help her to fool Hina's sister sense. She started to search all furniture, like behind the bed or in the wardrobe, but after looking around for time, the only place left to check was the creepy desk she was avoiding.

Misaki without any choice, went to seek for semething useful at Hina's desk. When she got there, Misaki didn't really know from where start her search. The desk looks like that the owner was some kind of ancient sage who mastered the art of alchemy and started a millennium long search for the elixir of eternal youth, because Misaki never saw so many flask of diferent sizes and colors, there was even one that changed color, but she was afraid to approach this potion with unknown properties.

Even though there so many eyecatching things on the desk, the one which got more Misaki's attention was as portrait of Hina hugging Aya in the beach. She keep staring at the portrait without move any muscle, like she was lost in thoughts, returning to move again only to turn the portrait towards the wall.

To Misaki's surprise, when she turned the portrait she saw a teal-colored object behind It, giving a closer a look she realized It was actually a wig. Looks like Misaki wasn't the first one to use a Sayo desguise.

Misaki carefully pulled the wig to not pull any flask together, but as she pulled the wig she realize that It was abnormally heavy for just hair, so finally when the whole thing come out she could see a flask tangled into the wig. That flask was clearly different from the others, instead of a simple and transparent with the biggest changes being the inside content, the flask Itself has the same color as the twins hairs and It's desing could be compared with the most expensive french fragrance flasks.

"So she was really making a elixir of eternal youth." Misaki couldn't help but to be surprised with the mythical aura that the flask emanated. 

Releasing the flask from the wig, Misaki could saw a paper attached to the flask, the paper was full of notes hand writed. Curious about the mysteries behind the flask, Misaki decided to read the paper.

After years of failed attempts, I'm finally achieved the goal I was aiming for, the creation of most boppin fragrance in the entire world 'The Onee-chan Elixir'! Now I can recreate perfectly Onee-chan smell using It, but unfortunately the effect only lasts 10 minutes.

"To Hina-san It must be way more important than a youth elixir."

Misaki could feel her luck is finally changing, she was already satisfied with just the wig to help with the desguise, but with this product of Hina's alchemy she can imitate perfectly Sayo's scent, that can be crucial to wake up the young twin.

Then she opened the 'The Onee-chan Elixir's flask and applied It at herself. Misaki is not the type of person that know other people smells, but the scent that came out of the flask and now coming from her, really resembled her senpai. Then she wear the wig and her desguise was finally complete.

Already on the way to the door, Misaki feel something falling in her shoulder. She looked at her shoulder and saw another piece of paper like the note she just read, It should have be stuck inside the wig. Misaki picked the note and decided to read It.

Today was a dangerous day, because I almost forgot 'The Onee-chan Elixir' recipe. I can't let myself forget about It, so I decided to write the recipe here to have a backup.  
1 **:*********************************************  
2 **:*********************************************  
3 **:*********************************************  
4 **:*********************************************  
5 **:*********************************************

Misaki froze in the place, she wasn't believing on what her eyes are showing to her. Every component from this recipe was so creepy that made her body shiver, she couldn't believe she used this flask on her body, just the thought of something made by those Ingredients over her skin was enough to made her want to puke, but she managed to hold It. Misaki really should have followed her intuition earlier, averting herself to get closer from that desk.

Misaki needed some time to recover from that shock, she need to accept that her current situation was caused by the karma for invanding other people propreties without any permission, but that regret would at least help her to complete her objective. Lucky the elixir wouldn't last long on her body, so she need to wake up Hina in that period of time.

Leaving the room and finally wenting down stairs, Misaki could see Hina deeply sleeping on the same place as before, showing no sign of waking up for her own. Ready to wake up the guitarist, Misaki stood in front of Hina, crossing her arms in Sayo's style she started to put herself into her Senpai's shoes, so she tried to imagine the feeling of having a clunsy little sister that aways have absurd ideas, was the only member of the astronomy club and have a positive view of the world... _That's basically Kokoro, isn't It?_ Now knowing the feeling she should use, Misaki filled her lungs with fresh air, releasing It with a big shout that echoed by the entire living room.

"HINA!!!"

When Hina's ears received the sound waves coming out Misaki's mouth transmitted by the air, vibrating her eardrums making her tiny bones to transfer the sound to the colchlea of the inner ear, wich with It's inner fluids moving caused the hair cells in the cochlea to bend, changing It's movemets into electrical pluses, which the hearing nerve interpreted as sound, she instantly opened her eyes with the image of her sister being the first thing she saw.

"Onee-chan!!!" Even though she just woke up, Hina suddenly jumped towards on who she believes is her sister, kissing her in the middle of the jump, but also trowing both of them in the grond in the process.

Misaki, was caught completely off guard, she definitely wasn't expecting Hina to jump towards her like a baby xenomorph that just came out from the egg, but she was even more surprised that like the alien the twin also aimed for her mouth. She was thrown to the floor with Hina on top of her, being forcibly kissed for two minutes straight before their lips got apart.

"Phew! I'm sorry Onee-chan my heart belongs to Aya-chan, but I don't mind being kissing sisters." Hina declared wearing a big smile, like what she just said wasn't something completely outrageous.

"Hina-san, I'm not your sister and I don't believe It would be better If I was." Misaki quickly removed the wig to not being mistaked again, she don't need another kissing session.

"Eh? Misaki-chan? Why are you disguising as Onee-chan?" Hina got closer to Misaki and started to sniff her. "Even your smell is the same as her."

"I think It would be easier to explain If you get off me."

"Okay." Getting off from her, Hina gave space to Misaki retake her breath and start to answer what was asked to her.

"Well... I came here to meet Sayo-senpai, but when I arrived the front door was open, so I decided to enter to see If something have happened and I ended up finding you sleeping on the floor behind the curtains. I tried to wake up many times, but you only reacted If I was imitating your sister, so I disguised as her to wake you up, and It worked... Maybe too well." Misaki gave Hina a brief resume of what happened since she got in the house to explain the current situation.

"That's strange, Onee-chan wouldn't let the door open or let me speeping on the floor, she aways wake me up when that happens"

_So It's not unusual to you sleep on the floor... Okay..._

"But why you woke me up If you only need to talk with Onee-chan?" Hina finally said the obvious question anyone would ask in this situation.

"That's because I couldn't find Sayo-sanpai anywhere, so I presumed that you would know what happened here, but I end up only waking up someone who unilaterally kiss It's sister."

"Unilaterally? But was Onee-chan who kissed me first."

"Say what?!" Misaki just heard something astonishing right now.

"It's true, I remember like It was yesterday"

"When this happened?"

"Yesterday!"

"Of course..." _Why does I still try?_

* * *

Around 10 PM, Hina was on the living room watching the second movie of the three she choosed to see that night, she didn't have any appointment next morning, so she could stay awake until late. Today Hina choosed to see a comedy, but If Aya was there she would pick a horror movie to scare her, It's aways nice the feeling of someone clinging into you in fear.

"I see... That means Mario's true rival and antagonist is this Scapelli guy."

Hina was really captivated by the movie, giving It more attention than many things in her like she 'should' care about. Her concentration was only broken when she heard the door opening, but with her parents sleeping, the only person that do not passed through this door today was-.

"Onee-chan! You came back unusually late today, didn't you? I bet you were having a lovey dovey time with Tsugu-chan." Despite being abnormally concentrated on the film, she immediately paused It to greet her big sister, because there's nothing on the face of the earth that deserve more Hina's attention than her dearest sister.

"..." Sayo didn't react Hina's words and started to walk towards her with a serious expression.

"Onee-chan? Are you alr-."

Hina's words were cut off by Sayo suddenly pressing her against the wall with a Kabedon. Looking directly to her sister's eyes, Sayo grabbed Hina's chin, brigging their face close to each other.

"Onee-cha-."

Once again, Hina couldn't complete he phrase, because this time Sayo directly interrupted It using her own lips. Hina's eyes widened as she felt her sister tongue invading her mouth, she was totally shocked with her sister action, she would never expect being kissed by her. It's not like she hate It, but this situation seens so out of reality that her brain couldn't keep the rhythm, It's almost....Like her conscience.....is...........Fading away.....

* * *

"And that was the last thing I remember from yesterday." Hina finally ended her fifteen minutes explanation about what happened last night, although the first ten minutes were a resume of the movie she was watching.

"And I thought the things couldn't get more weirder." Misaki muttered to herself, she already have to deal with a lot of problems she got involved in just one night, but It seems that the kisser maniac Sayo case just entered on the list of side mysteries she probably will had to solve besides the main one.

"Hina-san, do you have any clue where Sayo-senpai could be now?

"Onee-chan aways practice with her guitar on weekends mornings, so I had no clue where she might be, but If you want to wait for her we can watch the movies I didn't saw last night."

"No, thank you. I have a lot things to resolve and not much time to do It. I think is better If I go after Sayo-senpai, she can't be this far from here." Thinking If she leave right now she would be able to find Sayo faster, Misaki quickly went towards the front door, but she had to stop when she realized she forgot one important fact. "I need to change my clothes first."

* * *

Already wearing her own clothes, Misaki was in front the front door ready to start a blind search for Sayo without any clue from where she should start searching, hoping she would know something about the last night that might help her to know what crime she commited.

"Misaki-chan, when you find Onee-chan tell to her what we discussed earlier. If we manage to arrange a kissing schedule, I bet she would find It a boppin idea." Hina

"It sure will be a _boppin_ idea to her." Misaki replied with a smirk. "So, I'm leaving."

Misaki grabbed the door knob, but she couldn't manage to turn It before she get rid of a matter that is tormenting her mind for a time.

"Hina-san, can I ask you something?"

"Of course Misaki-chan, everything but my gazpacho secret recipe."

"Okay... I just want to confirm If Sayo-senpai know about about the 'The Onee-chan Elixir'?"

Suddenly Misaki couldn't believe in her own eyes, because they're showing a scene that she would never expect to see in her entire life, she cold even say that she never expected that would be possible to happen. The scene that shocked Misaki so much was the image of Hikawa Hina trembiling in nervousness.

"W-What are you implying Misaki-chan? Of-Of course she know about It." If she had said that while laying into a massage chair, maybe would be still a slightest possibility to Misaki buy It, but suddenly starting to sweat and avoiding eye contact somewhat denounced her.

"If she know about It, then It's alright. I was just a little worried that she didn't know how It's made, but If she's okay wit... Hina-san? Shit, she became a statue." Misaki end up exagerating too much in her tease, she not expected to Hina get nervous enough to become a marble statue. Misaki had to fill a water cup in the kitchen and spill it on Hina's head to cure her petrification.

"I'm sorry Hina-san, I shouldn't have teased you too much, but you don't need to worry, It's not like I will tell Sayo-senpai about the 'The Onee-chan Elixir'."

"You don't neet to worry about It Misaki-chan, It was my fault to forgot to put It inside my eletronic safe after use the alchemy table." Hina calmed Misaki worries, beginning to regain her body movements again.

_So you also call your desk a alchemy table..._

Maybe Hina could hide the existence of her creation If she lock It into a safe place, but there's still a thing that is itching in Misaki's mind. "Hina-san, perhaps your safe's password woudn't be 'Sayo', would be?"

"Wow! How did you know It? Are you a esper?"

"No... It was just a bet..." Misaki started to worry If Hina is really capable to keep this secret for too long.

Misaki then finally opens the door, but she felt that she couldn't leave the place before say one last thing to Hina, so she turned toward the teal-haired idol to speak frankly with her.

"Hina-san, I feel really bad for fiding about your secret while I was intruding into your room withou your consent, so If one day Sayo-senpai find out about It and you have to ran away home, I wouldn't mind let you stay at my house for a while."

"Thank you very much Misaki-chan I was planning to use Aya-chan house as hideout, but It would be too obvious, so your offer is perfect."

Feeling relieved for Hina not holding a grudge against her, Misaki passed through the front door, coming back to the cold streets. She looked to the left an to the right, wondering wich way Sayo taked, but she suddenly heard someone calling her name out loud. Turning her head toward the voice she saw a small black box flying towards her, somehow managing to catch It before It collides with her.

"Misaki, if you find Aya-chan in your jorney give It to her!." Hina who looks to be the one who threw the box was on the door, waving to Misaki departure. "Wish you luck!"

_Why does she think I will meet Murayama-san by chance? She's probably not even involved with the yesterday incid... Know what, judging by how this day already passed, It wouldn't be a surprise If I met her later._

**Hina's small black box obtained.**

Misaki don't know why, but she find herself smiling as she think what mysteries and surprises the today still have to show her. It somehow made Misaki really determined to search after Sayo, but she still wanted to know something that is bothering her.

"Where did my bra go?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used the official images to describe the rooms geography, so the lack of wardrobe in Sayo's room is not my fault.


	5. The Raid of The Chuuny Store

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I put rpg tag after that?

### The Raid of The Chuuny Store

All the determination Misaki had to search Sayo not too much time ago was completely gone, but It's not like she lost her motivation to resolve her mystery or something like that. Actually, the problem she's facing right now is the fact she finally reached her physical limits to be more specific.

Misaki have been ignoring her body state since she woke up today, she probably would be able to to endure the pain of her injuries the entire day If wasn't for her back. She had been a lot of backache recently due to the efford accumulated during the week, she have to put a cold compress on her back almost every saturday to her situation not get worse, but today her pain is worse than ever.

Basically, Misaki's back is killing her so much right now that she can't even move properly, It wouldn't be that bad If she was sitting in a banch resting and waiting her back get better, but Misaki wouldn't be herself If her life was this easy, because instead of bench, the place she's right now collapsed is the ground.

When her back reached It's limit, Misaki had no time to find a place to rest, so she end up falling on the snow not being able to get up. Maybe If she burn her willforce until exceed It's limits she could be able to leave, but even If she retake her jorney nothing will guarantee It wouldn't happen again until she resolve the mystery.

"Haha... I think my body finally reached It's limits. I really should have listened Kanon-san, now I can only wait for- Death?!" While Misaki was reflecting the current situation, she realized that a lot of crows and rats started to surround her, attracted by Misaki who resembled a corpose.

"Great, now there is a entire siege waiting me to die, If they do not try to eat me alive, of course." Misaki sighed, she always thought she would die decapitated after the sanbaka decides to play with sharp objects, but not by a bunch of hungry animals. "At least It gave me more motivation to get up."

Misaki then tried to gather forces to leave the floor, but before she could do It she saw a huge black hooded rat coming towards her. She thought It was just a new one joining the group, but instead of waiting for Misaki's death, It started to fight with the other rats and crows like a single crusader facing hundreds of heretics to retake the sacred land. It was the most intense battle between animal she ever saw and to Misaki's surprise and admiration the winner was the black hooded rat, that managed to scare away the other animals.

"Wow! That little one really wanted to save me." Misaki was trully dumbfounded, she would never expect to meet a rat that fight to protect her. Trying to show gratitude, Misaki tried to pat It, but when she approached her hand, the rat started to bite her. "Ouch! More than save me, I think he only wanted the food to Itself."

Trying to make the rat stop nibbling her, Misaki managed to get up her upper body, sitting on the snow she was above, also picking from her pocket a small portion of food wraped on aluminum paper that Hana gave her to lunch If she got hungry. Surely would be painful to give up of such delicious food, but the rat bites are getting stronger and she don't want to wait until It gets satisfied.

"Here some food, so please stop trying to eat me." Misaki opened de aluminium and offered the food to the rat.

Seeing the food that was offered to It, the rat stopped biting Misaki's right hand and started to eat It's meal on her left hand. Misaki got a little relieved seeing that the rat was enjoying the food tha Hana cooked, actually It should be the expected, because she's a great cooker, so It's no surprise to everyone find her food delicious, excepect Moca and father. Misaki still need to find the reason for this, but for now that mystery is only on the second place on the list of priority of the mysteries she need to resolve.

"What are you doing sitted on the snow at this time of the day, young lady?"

While still feeding the rat, Misaki heard a voice behind her, turning her head in surprise she saw a old lady around her sixtys with a very black coat holding a shovel, standing between her and the sun.

"Actually I'm having some problems with backache right now, so It's a little hard to stand." Misaki declared embarassed, rubbing the back of her head.

"You don't need to be embarassed about It, a lot of friends of my have the same problem as you, they only needed to buy somthing to help them to walk."

Misaki is glad that the oldy lady understand her situation, but she also accidentally threw in her face the reality that her problem is not something common in her age, at least she gave Misaki a idea to solve her situation.

"I think a cane would help a lot, but It's not like I have the money to pay for one... Unless." Remembering something important, Misaki quickly searched in her pockets the present Gotou-san gave to her. "Who would thought that this present would help me this much."

Misaki was looking to the coupon for the elderly, like someone who just transmuted iron in gold. When she meet Gotou-san again she will make sure to thank him for being the messiah who gave her a way to afford a cane in a good price to surpass this obstacle in her journey.  
"Interesting, you have a coupon for _that_ store." The old lady looked surprised, seeing Misaki in possession of such artifact.

"What store?" Misaki only now realized that she forgot to check from what store the coupon is.

"That store is know by many names: The shortcut to hell, the nest of all evil, the gate to the underworld, the Cocytos of the customers, the house of Hades. Everyone acknowledge that place as the most terrifying and diabolical department store to buy something. The store Itself is like a living organism that lure people with It's great coupons and discounts in order to suck their money and life energy until they dry, It's not a place for weak people, If you aren't strong enough to survive the trials, you would be only throwing your life away going there." Without stop to blink a single time, the old lady told Misaki the tales of that demonic store with a cold and sinister voice tone.

Okay, now Misaki is definitely scared, she could tell by the old lady expression that she wasn't joking about that store being a malefic place. Now the only wat to get the cane for good price is risking her own life in a department store ruled by the evil Itself, but Misaki is not that desperate to enter head in into a suicide and time killing mission like this one.

"I know what you're thinking and It's the right thing to think, but I can see you're a person with a powerful soul that wouldn't gave up when I start to hit you with this shovel while you still on the ground-."

"You gonna hit me with a shovel!?" Misaki shouted, shocked by what she just heard.

"No, It was just a example, but I bet you wouldn't give up after that."

"Give up is a thing, getting up is another matter."

"Ok, I'm sorry, It was just a joke, you don't need to make such a fuss for that. Anyway, you can think that would be a impossible mission, but with my help you will be able to buy what your heart disires. I studied that store's structure, behavior and tactics for a long time, but I'm not so young as I used to be, so I want you to be my successor. What you think, want to work together?" The old lady standed her hand toward Misaki, inviting her to join this great mission.

Misaki don't expected to receive such offer. Who would call someone you just meet laying on the ground to be your succesor. It didn't conviced Misaki at all, but If will help her with her backache, It's a good reason to accept.

"I'm the type of person who don't let a good discount go away that easily, If you can help me to survive this hell store I don't have a good reason to not accept your offer." Misaki then grabbed the old lady's hand, getting support to finally stand in her own feets again. "But I can't work with someone who didn't told her name to me, It would be very irresponsible."

"My name is Kamiya Kaede, It will be a pleasure to work with you..."

"Okusawa Misaki."

"Okusawa Misaki, a great name for a great person, I'm glad that I will be able to work with you two." Mrs.Kamiya looks really exited for this wholly dark adventure thing.

"Two?" Misaki looked to her suroundings, but she couldn't see anyone besides the two of them.

"Yes, the rat isn't with you?"

"The rat?" Misaki looked to her feets and saw that the little rodent that helped her earlier didn't have go away while she talked with Mrs.Kamiya.

"I thought It was your pet, It seens to like you."

"Really?" testing Mrs.Kamiya's theory, Misaki tried to stand her hand to the rat, but her back dind't let her crouch to get closer, so she used the Mrs.Kamiya's shovel to bring the little mammal close to her. Seeing Misaki hand standing for It, the rat jumped from the shovel to her hand and climbed her arm until reach the shoulder, standing there like some kind of pirate's parrot. "You want to join me? That was unexpected."

**A new companion joined the party!**

"What a great team! Human and beast, opposites working together to a great cause. I can feel a magnificent synergy coming out from Okusawa-san and... What is the name of this little fellow?"

"I dunno, I just first meet It some minutes ago." Misaki cusually shrugged.

"That's a problem, we neet to give It a good name like... Little Apocalypse or Hell Cheeser." Mrs.Kamiya seens to be thinking really hard to pick a name for Misaki's new companion.

"Wow! You truly awful with name, aren't you? Let me choose then... Let me see." Misaki picked the rat and started to look at It as many different angles she could find. " It seens to be a male, so... What about Pierre?"

"Pierre? What you think he is, a five star chef? I think Hell Cheeser is a better name, but is your rat, so It's your choice" Mrs.Kamiya was a little disappointed by any of her amazing names were picked, but she can't force Misaki to change the rat's name.

"Well, let's retake our talk from before the naming ceremony. Okusawa-san and Pierre, are you ready to the great challenge of buying at the most evil store in Tokyo? I promised to teach you how do It, but I won't will help you after passing my knowledge, so you will be entirely by yourselfs, it is up to you to know how to use this information to your advantage. Are you sure you want to continue?"

Being questioned twice If she really will accept that mission just to buy a good cane for a good price, Misaki stated to think If It is really necessary, because It wouldn't help her to find out what crime she commited last night and It only would reduce her time to solve that mystery, but she ignored everything as soon her back started to hurt again, remembering she is really needing a cane right now.

"I have no choice, but to go."

* * *

 _First, you need to know that If you follow the store rules you will be only playing in It's hand, being only one of the many pupets It have that are doomed to lost all their money. To overcome this situation you need to make your own rules to explore the weakness of It's rules_.

Misaki was standing in front the entrance of a alley, staring at the darkness of the path in front of her.

"Are you ready Pierre?"

"Squeak!"

Ready to dirty her hands, Misaki entered the alley together with her companion, being surrounded by the shadows of that underworld.

* * *

 _Second, you will be in the enemy territory, so you can't let your guard down even for a second. Everything there can and will be used to harm and fool you, so in order to not fall in the store hands, you need to study to come up with a plan good enough to overcome It's preparations and tatics_.

Misaki decided to go to a building shop in order to buy some wood samples. Even the employee found it strange when she asked for It, but she couldn't blame him, she also would found strange If someone asked for something this unusual this early of the morning. In the end, they sold the samples only giving some strange looks to her. Then, Misaki was able to buy what she wanted without being questioned.

Already left the building shop, Misaki was searching something she coud as table to end her job here. It tooke some time to find one, but she finally found a place to put her samples over It.

"Now Pierre, I'm counting on you."

"Squeak!"

Ready for his duty, Pierre got out from Misaki's coat pocket and also got over the table. He carefully started to analyze the samples for some time, stopping for a minute just to start to nibble them one by one.

"I see... Neither the oakwood and the pinewood were good... That means we need to pick this one?

"Squeak!"

"If It's your recommendation, who I'm am to not follow It."

* * *

 _Third, you need to be ready to fight If you want your cane, because even If you passed through the other trials, the store won't let you buy what you desire so easily, sending It's hired demons to stop you. Those demons have years of experience in taking other people money to their master, so the only way to win against them is being more trick and wicked than the demon Itself_.

Misaki went to the stationary store as the next stop from her mission.

"Good morning, are you open?

"We still turning on the system, so we only will be able to attend after approximately 10 minutes."

"I see." Misaki wouldn't mind to wait only 10 minutes, It's her fault to arriving this early, at least It would be a calm and relaxing time, something Misaki have a feeling that she won't have much this day.

Sitting on chair waiting to be attended, Misaki could feel her whole body relaxing, she was really needing to take some rest. She raised her head, looking to the blank ceiling with her mindy empty. She could feel her eyes feel heavy, but If she close them now theres a chance she won't be able to open them for a long time, so to not fall asleep Misaki tried to distract herself.

Misaki picked her phone and decided to read the news. There is nothing too unusual on the news today, the only thing there is a fuss about is the climate, that surprised everyone about how much snow fell in Tokyo last night, but Misaki already knew that, the difference is that she found out in the worst way possible. She keep scrolling her cellphone to find a interesting news, until she finally she found something interesting.

"On this saturday morning, civilians found a trail of bloo-."

"Squeak!"

"Did you found something Pierre? Whoa! It's a newspaper!" After Pierre told her that he found something cool, Misaki did not expected to be a newspaper, that really is a rare found. You don't see many of them nowadays, so If you want one in your house everyday, you need to find a service that still delivery them. "You did a great job Pierre! Now we can truly relax."

Yes, Misaki can be called a newspaper fanatic, she read It everyday, but insted of the majority of the population, she don't content with the digital one. To Misaki read a newspaper, that one have to be the real deal or she won't be satisfied, because she really like to feel the paper in her hands and the smell of fresh ink coming out of It.

"Let's see what we have for today." Misaki opened the newspaper with a visible smile in her face.

"Squeak!"

"Dammit, you read to fast! Wait for me a little."

"Miss, we're already attending."

"Already?! Tsk! I think we need to read the rest when we're back home." even not wanting to stop read the newspaper, Misaki knew she came here with a purpose and she need to fulfill It.

* * *

Walking in the commercial district, Misaki stopped in front of a big store with It's doors closed together with many people standing outside, despite being this early of the morning.

"We're finally here Pierre, in front of the shortcut to hell, the nest of all evil, the gate to- Wait, why I'm saying those names? The real name is just in front of me." Misaki then look at the shop sign only to see the the store's true name is 'D'evil Store'. "...I think the real name is no better than the other ones.

After seeing that the store true name lived up to It's other many names, Misaki attention went back to the crowd in front the still closed doors of the store. Many people wouldn't understand the why of such a fuss just to enter the store, but Misaki already knew why It happens. Mrs.Kamiya explained to her that the best and cheapest products are sold really quickly, so the customers tend to wait there until the store opens.

But of course the things wouldn't be so simple in a store named D'evil Store. That situation actually is the first trial she have to overcome, but that trial would way more easy If It was just to being one of the firts to enter the store. The true difficulty behind the trial is the policy used by the store to avoid the chaos of so many people entering the store at the same time.

To control the flow of customers after open doors, the store created system of 10 lines to divide the people and sending them inside little by little, so If you don't get a good position, you may lose what you wanted to buy.

Misaki waited about five minutes until the doors started to be opened. Looking inside, she could saw the 10 lines covering the entire entrace. Misaki could try to sprint a little to join in a line that there still no one waiting, but that would be a unwiseful decision, because If you pay attention in the surroundings you will notice that are only six employees for the 10 lines, that means not every line will be working.

Those employees would come to left to right, filling up the lines alternately to not let a huge amout of people close to each other. If you're a newcomer, you probably wouldn't know about that policy, so you would ending up picking a line without any employee to let you pass. Lucky, Misaki was told about It, so she won't commit that mistake. The only problem Misaki really have to deal to pass through this trial, is the fact she arrived a bit late, so she wouldn't get a good place in any line.

Misaki calmly saw the store employees picking the lines one by one, If they were only five, the lines taked would be the odd ones, first to ninth, but today there are six employees, It means the sixth would be a even one. Usually someone without combat experience wouldn't know what line the worker would pick, but thanks to Mrs.Kamiya information, Misaki knew that thay aways pick the closest one, in other words, the second line would be the one picked.

Almost every other customer here are a experient one, that also knew about how the lines are picked, so after arriving late without any advantage, Misaki could only saw many people joining the second line before she could even try to get a good position. But there's something the people who managed to get in front of Misaki do not expected. They would never imagine that the young woman who arrived after everyone and should be the last one of the line, actually is the most prepared person there, that was only playing with them.

That's right, Misaki have a plan, and everything that happened until now was part of It. She waited until everyone had picked their lines to start to execute her plan. Seeing the time already come, Misaki head to the empty fourth line, despite the fact that no employee would attend there. She went until the end of the line and started to look the surroundings, seeing that the sixth worker had not arrived yet, exactly how she expected.

"Finally I can get rid of that gross thing." Misaki took from her pocket the key to pass through the trial. It was a paper with big dead cockroach, that she hunted in the alley with Pierre's help, envolved by It. So yes, she had a dead cockroach in her pocket this entire time ,and no, she don't want to do something that gross ever again in her entire life, If someday she needs to buy here again, she would at least bring It inside something else.

Putting her plan in action, Misaki opened the paper in her hands and furtively throw the cockroach on end of the second line where the employee should be to let the customers pass one by one. If everything went well, the employee will see the dead insect and will avoid the second line to not get closer to It. And the first empty line after the second one is the fourth, exactly where Misaki is only waiting to her time to come.

Then the sixth employee finally came to the second line, but to the unhappiness of the people in that line, when the worker saw the cockroach, everything that Misaki had predicted became true, making her the first one of the recently released fouth line.

"All according the plan."

Thanks to Misaki's plan, she managed to be one of the firsts costomers to enter the store, gaining a huge advantage over others. At least with that advantage she could relax a little more, she was so tense before that only now she noticed that the employee's uniform had a red cap with demon horns coming out of It. _So, those are the demons Kamiya-san was talking about_.

Misaki went futher inside the store together with the other who got good positions on their respective lines. They walked until the path got divided in two different ways, the left where are the cash registers and the right which lead to the rest of the store.

Apparently they're only allowed to enter by the right. It would be a problem for Misaki, because she saw on the store map that the section she need to go is closer to the left side and she don't know how many people are in front of her, so to guarantee her purchase she needs to somehow enter by the left.

Wasting no time, Misaki started to look around to something that would help her to enter by the left side. Looking the surroundings, her gaze end up stopping at the sight of a male employee that different from the others ones, his uniform is entirely black and instead of a cap he have a visor with two big black horns coming out from It. He is something like a high rank demon between the weakest ones, so he must have the power to let her pass by the left.

"Excuse me, It's possible to me go by the left side?" Following Mrs.Kamiya advice, Misaki went against the store rules, asking to go the opposite way that the store wants.

"You really is a bold one, trying to disobey the absolute rules of this store in front of a high ranked employee like me, there should be a limit of how disrespectful a person can be. Unfortunately I'm obliged to say that there's a way to go by the left, but I'm merciful enough to recommend to you not choose this option."

"What is the deal with that option?"

"Let's say you have to gamble very high just to have right to do that option. If you want to go by the left you will need to correctly answer three riddles, but you're obliged to make a soul pact that make you agree with the condition that, if you lose, you need to buy at least two full price products."

"What a bunch of demons." Misaki is starting to get why this place is named D'evil Store.

"So, are you really disposed to pay such high price just to try go by the opposite way? I can guarantee the difficulty of the riddles, many other lost their souls trying to cross the same path as you."

Misaki realized that something was off. Why the store would create such harsh politcal just for the people who don't want to go in the main way, If they will be buying something in the end. That can only mean the store want you to follow by the right, Misaki don't know why, but she bet that the main way have a lot of traps to capture the costomer money, so she mustn't pass by there.

"No I'm not, but I'm even less disposed to go the other way." Misaki replied with a confident tone, challenging the high rank employee.

"You sure have guts to a mere human, but when you lose don't forget that I warned you." The employee then took a blackboard from nowhere and started to write something in It, constantly checking the notes in his pocket while writing It, until he finally ended and turned the blackboard to Misaki.

_It can't be seen, can't be felt, can't be heard, and can't be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, Ends life, and kills laughter. What is it?_

_Only one color, but not one size,_   
_Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies._   
_Present in sun, but not in rain,_   
_Doing no harm, and feeling no pain._   
_What is it?_

_Who is that have a long neck, eat while on the ground, is really tall and only go to the arm day in the gym?_

"Here It is, the three riddles that the store Itself pick to guard the gates of the left. They change every single day, so they will never repeat, even if you try to search the answers in the internet, It would be useless, because the store have a barrier that seal your communications." The employee explained the hopeless situation that Misaki is, wearing a diabolic smile.

"..."

Misaki had her head down without saying a word, being exactly the same thing that the employee expected to happen. Aways when he show his customers the great mistake they just made, they get so desperate that they can't even talk, but when the employee looked at Misaki's face, he didn't saw any sign of despair, instead, he only saw her wearing a big smirk, like she was finding this whole situation funny.

"I think I overestimated this trial, but who would expect to the riddles to be so... _Easy_." Misaki make fun of the employee like he was a kid who still think that linear equations are hard.

"Easy!? Don't play with me, those riddles are high level ones, there's no way you would know their answers so fas-."

"The dark, a shadow and a quetzalcoatlus"

"What?'

"That's not what you wanted? You were doubting me, so I just said the answers, or perhaps you didn't know them?"

"O-Of course I know It, but that's just..." There's no doubt that she answered every riddle correctly, but the employee just couldn't believe that he failed, he failed to protect the gates that were trusted to him. How he can see his colleagues faces again after failing this important mission. He can't stand It, he betrayed the expectations of everyone, especially from his master "My Lord! Please forgive me!!!"

"Okay..." Misaki got surprised by the employee falling on his knees while crying for forgiveness. She know that she purposely played the hope crusher role just now, but she only wanted to give a payback for his chuuny behavior, not break his will to life. In the end, Misaki decided ignore him before the situation get worse, going directly to the left route.

Misaki is glad that she managed to easily pass through the trial, but she also felt a little sorry about the high rank employee that was guarding this way. She acted like the riddles were the easiests ones she ever saw, but in the reality, Misaki only knew their answers because she saw them earlier this day. Those riddles actually were picked from the newspaper Misaki read. They aways have new ones everyday, so she just was luckly to had find the newspaper in the stationary store earlier today.

Already passed by the cash registers, Misaki now could see the products for sale without a single soul around, that because she went by the opposite way from the other customers, so she need to utilize her geographical advantage to be the first one to arrive on the session where the canes are sold.

Misaki than went after the session where the product she want was waiting for her, the map she saw earlier showed It shouldn't be far from where she is. After searching for a while, Misaki realized the store inside is bigger than she expected, like five times more than she deduced when she saw the front of the store.

Walking a bit more, Misaki finnaly found the elderly session and went towards where the canes are sold. Arriving there, Misaki found herself surrounded by many types of canes with different colors, shapes and qualities. She had to quickly find the most suited to her, before the other customers arrive, If she was lucky maybe she can even be the first one on the cash register, but when Misaki would start her search, she felt a hostile presence behind her.

"Who are you?" Misaki turned around and saw that the presence she felt came from a girl with a celeste blue hair who seens to be a part-timer between her 16 and 17 years, wearing a victorian maid clothes. She had a overall friendly vibe, but Misaki wouldn't be fooled by her appearance, she can feel very well the hostility coming from her, she certainly is not a friend.

"I'm a arch maid employee that was designed to help the customers to find the perfect product to them." She introduced herself, doing a cordial bow worthy of a great maid.

 _That means she's here to make sure I don't get what I want_. Misaki didn't took long to link the Arch Maid employee appearance with the hired demons that Mrs.Kamiya told her to be careful with. Misaki can't give herself the luxury of let her guard down even a second If she really want to be the one victorious.

"I'm glad you're here. I was really needing some help to pick up a good cane for me." Misaki may not be a actress like Chisato, but at least she is above average liar. It's not like she like to lie to others, but she developed her skills after had to come up with a lot of excuses to her family and friend about her nights awake. After some time, you get good at It.

"Indeed, we have a lot of canes here, It's not a surprise you couldn't decide the best one, so It will be a pleasure to help a dear customer like you with your purchase."

Those sure were gently words, Misaki would be glad to have someone so kind helping her, at least If she couldn't saw the maid true Intentions in her eyes full of malice. Even in front of the enemy, Misaki was extreme calm, because that is a game that two can play.

"Thank you very much, but before we start to search for the cane." Misaki than took her coupon from pocket and showed It to the maid. "I have this coupon for elderly. It apply to canes too, right?"

"Of course It also apply, you don't need to worry about It. Then, let me show our canes." Turning towards the canes, the maid was wearing a small smirk.

Some people say If reveal you final card before the battle even start is a dumb decision. Misaki clearly knew It, but It was necessary. When she showed the coupon, Misaki also covered the 20% indication, but purposely not covering the cap of the 'two' to create a doubt about the true identity of the number, forcing the Arch maid to show every kind of cane they have.

"Oh! I almost forgot. You have any cane preference, like a metal or wood one?"

"I would like a wood one with a simple and useful design"

The two of them were searching for a good cane like in a normal store, but Misaki realized that the maid was guiding her the entire time, not letting her to be free to look around a little to find one by herself. certain that something was being hiddened from her, Misaki took advantage when the maid was turned back to send a scout to search for what she wanted.

"Pierre, I need you to go after the cane while I'm stuck here with her." Misaki stealthily wispered to her companion.

"Squeak!" Hearing Misaki's request, Pierre leaved her pocket and went after the best cane over there.

Just after Misaki sended Pierre, the maid turned back to her, carring different wood canes that she had picked. Misaki saw them one by one, all of them had the same overall desing, but they are made by different types of wood. Having searched together with Pierre the the highest quality woods that she could find in a cane, Misaki could tell those canes aren't of the best quality.

"Those canes seens really good, but I had something more reddish in my mind."

"Reddish?" The maid didn't understand what Misaki mean.

"Yes, like a mahogany cane" Misaki finally told the wood she wanted for her cane, since Pierre recommended It after he coudn't properly gnaw It.

"Ma-Mahogany!?" The maid was caught off guard. She has understimated Misaki, thinking she was only a smart customer who is good with riddles, but she would never expect that she knew about the existence of the mahogany canes. She can't take her lightly anymore.

"I never heard about a cane made with mahogany, but If you want something cool, I have a perfect product for you." The maid need to make Misaki change her mind about the cane she wants, so she will need to resort to heavy artillery. "Look, this cane have a really cool desing and If you are in a dangerous situation where you need to defend yourself you can pull of the handle and you will have a sword in your hands."

Even Misaki agreeding that have a sword cane is something you can define as a synonym of cool, wouldn't be her in trouble If she walk around with a white weapon? Besides, the cane also look fragile, because It have the sword compartment but also managed to be more thin than a normal cane.

Misaki grabbed the cane and slightly pulled the handle, staring the portion of the blade that was out of the collar. Looking at the reflex of the blade, Misaki saw Pierre on the top of a iron basket full of low quality canes, immediately knowing that the cane she was looking for was there, not only because Pierre indication, but she also noticed while the maid was showing her the cane options, that she aways positioned herself in a angle that hided a specific place of the cane session, never letting Misaki look there, and this specific location is exactly where her companion is. Lucky, the maid didn't count with Misaki using the reflex of the product to see the spot that was hidden.

"It's a really cool cane, but I think I should check that basket bofere buy something." Misaki used the cane in her hands to point to the maid where she wanted to search.

"T-That basket? But there's only cheap canes. You don't need to waste your time searching something good there." The maid gulped, seeing that the place she was hiding so well was found out, she don't even know If It's possible to the situation get even worse than she already is.

"Don't worry, I have a good feeling about this basket."

Misaki threw the sword cane to the maid and went towards the basket. Getting there, she asked to Pierre go back to her pocket to evoid trouble and tried to find the cane she wanted before the maid reach her. Trusting in her companion, Misaki decided to pick the one Pierre was on top. When Misaki grabbed It's crook handle and pulled It from the basket, she couldn't be more happy, because the cane she pulled had the reddish wood she desired so much, having to pass through this annoying store just to find It.

"Looks like there still was a mahogany one hidden here."

"Really? That's great for you, isn't It?" The maid congratulated Misaki for find what she wanted with a nervous tone while pressing her hand against her chest, feeling a huge pain in the heart. To be able to surpass her preparations, dealing so much damage to her, the customer in front of her couldn't be a mere human, but who is she?

"There's something extra in this cane, like the sword one?

"No, there's nothing like that in this one. It's model is the 'Idiot suppressor' one, designed to deal with idiot people or situations. It's hardness and resistence are necessary to not be damaged during this situations, also, It's crook handle is perfect to seal the movements of someone who is about to do something stupid. Basically It will give you a 100% bonus in your idiotic handler skills."

"Wow! It's perfect!" It was just a coincidence or this cane was made specifically to her? Dealing with idiot people is the summary of her life, so picking this cane on the basket was like removing the sacred sword from the stone to Misaki.

"I'm glad you liked It. I presume you want to buy as soon as possible, so If you don't mind, I need to pick your 20% discount coupon to send you the reduced price." Completaly overwhelmed by the irregular one in front of her, the maid at least have the consolation of her discount was only 20%, even If Misaki tried to hide It, as a Arch maid employee, she could easily see through that childplay trick.

The store instructed It's servants to not alloy anyone with a great discount get closer of the valuable products, that's why they hide those products until someone buy It at full price, but the maid never expected to find a opponent so powerful as Misaki, at least she didn't come with a powerful coupon, so the loss will not be that big.

"I'm sorry, I think you saw the wrong value." Misaki informed the maid.

"What you mean?" The maid didn't understand, she never read wrong a value before, even If the customer has tried to hide It like Misaki did, she aways read It correctly.

"Look." Misaki once again took her coupon from her pocket and showed It to the maid.

"Six-Six-Six-Sixty percent of discount!!!"

Actually, It's not like the maid had readed It wrong, It was 20% the value on the coupon, but It wasn't It's true value, because when Misaki went to the stationary store, she bought a sticker of a twenty with the same font of the original value, so she overlapped the sixty with a twenty, fooling the maid when she saw It. The true reason Misaki tried to hide the value wasn't because she wanted to the maid get the wrong number, but she did that to create a doubt in the maid's mind to her not suspect Misaki's actions. Maybe she went too far? Maybe.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" The maid started scream in pain and agony. The fatal attack she just received made her body start to ignite, but instead a normal fire that woudn't damage her, she was burning in sacred fire wich is super effective against demons like her.

"How! How are you so powerful? A arch maid employee like me shoudn't be able to be defeated by a human." On the ground because her legs already had carbonized, the maid looked to Misaki with all her hatred, thighting her fist. She coudn't accept to loose to a human, It would be unacceptable, but here she is, burning on the foots of her human enemy. Humans shoudn't be almost powerless? They shouldn't be just a plain race? Why she lost for her like that? It's almost like she is... She is... "A hero..."

The hero, a unprecedented existence that challenge the logic of the world. They can be born in every race, but It's said that the human heros are especially powerful , but no one exactly know why. the most accepted theory is, for the humans being the weakest race, aways suffering in the hand of other races, their heroes end up borning as the manifestation of their hopes and dreams. It's a decent explanation of the origin of the peculiar power of the human heroes, which allow the them to use good feelings like hope or friendship, created by the bonds the hero made in It's journey as a fuel to make him even stronger, making them basically invincible.

"So you are a hero... Now everything make sense..." The maid vision started to get blurry as the reminiscences of her body starts to fade away. "...You may have won the battle... But a demon do not give up so easily, so... That's not a goodbye..."

Saying her last words, the maid body burn into shiny ashes, flying away to the horizon to one day have the chance to come back.

.  
.  
.  
"...Okay?" Misaki really don't know how to react this situation. She just showed the true form of her coupon to the maid and she suddenly started to scream like someone was setted her on fire with a flamethrower. She also trow herself in the ground, acting like she was in pain and started do say some nonsenses to me with a angry tone. In the end she say even more nonsenses and closed her eyes, supposedly forever.

Misaki was standing there stuck in thoughts, don't knowing If she should feel confused or frightened, maybe a little of each would be the ideal. She never expected to the employees of this store being under a so serious case of chuunibyou, maybe their ranks would actually be the level of their condition. Still not sure what to do with the playing dead maid in the ground, Misaki felt another presence behind her, but this presence was nothing like of the maid, It was way more sinister and chilling. When she turned around, Misaki saw that the presence was coming out from a silhouette wearing a black robe, hidding every part of It's body.

"Pandora, get up!" The silhouette shouted to the maid on 'dead' maid.

"Yes, Milord." The maid who was playing dead seconds ago, quickly prostrated like a knight talking to a king.

"So you are the 'dark master' of this store?" Misaki already knew the answer, but she asked anyway to be polite.

"Yes, I am. Usually I don't leave the low levels of the underworld, but I saw your great performace and I couldn't help but came here in person to congratulate you for have defeated one of my most powerful demons." The lord of the store praised Misaki with a echoed voice tone, slowly getting closer to her.

"It's a honor to be praised by such important person, but I didn't intended to defeat anyone, I just wanted to buy a cane for a good price."

"Don't be modest. It's the first time someone defeat a demon as strong as Pandora, you accomplished an incredible act today, so I decided to reward you with this medal." The lord took out a golden medal from It's robe, and approached even more to Misaki in order to give her the reward.

"I'm sorry, but can you don't get this close of me?"

"How dare you to be this disrespectful with Milord!" Pandora shouted, angrily with Misaki's words.

"Pandora, calm down." The lord restrained It's subordinate and turned It's head to Misaki again. "Can I know why you don't want me to approach you?"

"It's because I'm having a feeling that you will hit me with a shovel If you ger closer."

"I see..." The others couldn't see, but the lord was smiling under It's robe. "So, since when you realized?"

"I had my suspects since I came here, but when I saw you right now, It became too obvious."

"Okusawa-san, you never ceases to impress me." Saying that, the lord started to remove It's hood, revealing no one but Mrs.Kamiya. "I'm a little curious. How do you knew I was the store's lord?"

"Well, as I progressed here, I started to find strange how much you knew about this place. The chuuny behavior of the employees also resembled me your personality. But what really made me realize you were the owner of this store, was the name of the store."

"The name?" Mrs.Kamiya was confused by Misaki's main reason why she discovered her identity.

"Yes, I thought the only person who could think such bad name like D'evil Store, should be the one who would name a rat as Hell Cheeser." It could sounds like a joke, but Misaki was really telling the truth.

"Okusawa-san, you really is a singular individual." 

"No, I'm not. I'm just a regular customer." Misaki don't think she did something out of normal. She can't accept being praised by doing nothing special.

"Okusawa-san, you underestimate yourself too much. Even I didn't expected you to do such a good job. I advised you to take care with the trials, but I never would expect you to choose to take the left way, avoiding most of the trials I have prepared to you. You even defeated Dvarapala."

"Dvarapala? the riddle guy?"

"Yes, he is the top high rank employee of the store. No one has ever walked the path he guard, but you did It. Your achievement was so unexpected, that we hadn't any trial prepared on the left of the store, so we had to call Pandora, one of the bests arch maid employees we have, only to stop you, but you also defeated her. Indeed, It was a great performance we had here ." Mrs.Kamiya was really emanating joy as she speaks about watching Misaki struggles from somewhere.

"Milord, I think she was able to do It, because she's the hero."

"Hero... I didn't heard that word in a long time..." Mrs.Kamiya started to remember the memory of the last time the hero was mentioned.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but I don't have the wholy day to wait you talk about a hero or another nonsenses." Misaki already got what she wanted, so she don't have any reason to stay here, but they haven't given her the reduced price from her cane yet.

"Oh! I almost forgot about It. Pandora, please give the new price to Okusawa-san, she deserved It." While Pandora was starting the process to apply the discount, Mrs.Kamiya keep talking to Misaki. "So Okusawa-san, what you think about my store?"

"Being frank, that store is confusing, strange and sometimes even scary. Be here only give me headache, so I hope I don't need to come here ever again." Misaki told everything in her mind, don't even minding about she's talking bad about the store to the owner.

"You really don't restrained yourself, do you? But you wouldn't come even knowing that you're worthy to be my sucessor?"

"No, I don't wanna be the lord of place full of people who think they're evil demons. I'm used to deal with idiots, but this too much to handle."

"Of course not, your future is too great to be restrained. I would never be able to keep you in this store. That's not a place for a hero." Since the first time Mrs.Kamiya saw Misaki on the street, she realized that the young woman in front of her was someone special with a bright future waiting for her, she probably will have a big role on the world history, but she don't know It. That's why Mrs.Kamiya decided to make this trial to her, and she couldn't be more happy with the results. "At least take the medal as a souvenir."

"If you insist." Misaki than put the medal on her neck, but hid It behind her coat, she wouldn't walk around with a golden medal in her neck, It would be to embarassing. At the same time, Pandora ended to change the price of the cane, finally giving It to Misaki. "Well, I think I will paid for It now. Also, thank you Kamiya-san, I know you're the one behind every struggle I passed here, but you're also the one who told me how to get this cane. I would never be able to get a cane as good as this one for such good price. You have my sincere thanks."

Having said goodbye, Misaki turned around and went towards to the cash registers, but before she could gain some distance, she was asked to stop.

"Okusawa-san, before you leave, I have one last thing to tell you." Mrs.Kamiya was the one who called Misaki.

"If It's important, I don't mind waiting a little more, but only a little."

"When I saw you leaving, I remembered a old prophecy made by the ancient oracle that talked about the life and fate of the next hero."

"When you say hero, you don't mean me, right? Because I know a lot of people who would fit this role way better."

"We really think you may be that hero Okusawa-san, but we can't affirm It, so I wish to tell you the prophecy just in case something happen."

"Fine, just tell It already."

"The old prophecy tells that the hero journey will be full of strugles and challenges until It's end, but there will be one time which the hero will have to face It's biggest challenge. Inflicted by a terrible curse, the hero will be forced to walk alone in a ice desert where the sun never rise and It's so empty that not even will be storms to keep you company. The hero will wander in this dead place for a undetermined time. It can took days, weeks or even years, but the hero must never give up, even If It's feets can't stand It's own weight, It's legs can't move anymore and It's heart is already in pieces. If the hero manages to endurer such circumstances, aways going foward, It will finally reach a storm that represents the end of It's curse. That tempest will be turbulent and dangerous, the hero's life will be highly threatened while facing such trial, but in the eye of this storm, there will be the key to the hero finally see the sun once again, but this time, for ever."

"That was a hell of a prophecy." Misaki was surprised about how detailed that prophecy is. " Well, I think It was a story worth to be hearded, but I really have go now, so once again, thank you for everything."

Misaki said goodbye and finally went to buy her new cane without anyone interrupting her.

"Wish you luck Okusawa-san. You're gonna need it."

* * *

Finally getting out the store, Misaki was once again under the blue sky, but this time she have a new item in her possesion

Feeling the sunlight in her skin, Misaki looked to the cane in her hands, feeling triumphant as she hold It. "We did It Pierre! we did It! We finally bought It! We will never return to this fucking store!"

"Squeak!!"

**Mahogany cane obtained.**

"Okay, let's stop celebrating for now, we can do It as we wish after we resolve all of our problems. We still have to find Sayo-senpai, so we need to hurry. Do you got It?"

"Squeak!" Pierre nodded.

Then, the two of them went back the cold streets, restarting their search for Sayo. While walking, Misaki remembered what she just talked with Pierre, whispering to herself. " 'Resolve all of our problems'... Even though I'm the one who said that, the idea of my problems being close to an end is so distant that I can't even imagine.... After all, a hero's journey would never be easy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter should have been just a small part of the next chapter, but I got carried away, too carried away.


	6. Revelations and Hope

### Revelations and Hope

After a unwanted adventure to buy her cane, Misaki came back to her search for her senpai, but trying to find someone in Tokyo without any hint where she is, is not a easy task. If Sayo took a train, Misaki's chances to know If picked one or not and where her senpai went is almost zero, and even If she knew It, there's no guarantee that she will stay there for a long time.

"The troubles of living in the big city." Misaki sighed, remembering how everyone knew someone's whereabouts where her grandparents live. That's a really good place to live, Misaki would like to visit her grandparents in her next vocations to enjoy some peace e silence, but she know It wouldn't be possible, because she is chained with a group called Hello Happy World, and the last time they spent a afternoon just to relax and chill down, Misaki end up waking up in her bed.

Tired for walking too much in her search, Misaki sit down on the first bench she laid her eyes into. While regaining her stamina, she tried to think a way to find Sayo, but no idea came in mind. Thinking in a solution for her problem, Misaki started to notice that a lot of rats were passig through her.

"We're back to the medieval age or what? I've never see so many rats in just a single day in my entire life" Misaki was surprised by the number of those little mammals the that she's watching pass in front of her. Now make sense why there was so many rats sieging her earlier that day.

"Squeak!"

"What? You want us to follow those rats? I don't know If It's a good idea..." Misaki didn't know If she should follow Pierre's idea. She remember very well that a retired circus performer once told that chase the rats isn't a good idea, so she's a little reluctant to follow then, even If Pierre said they should do It. Misaki then decided to refuse Pierre's suggestion, but when she looked at him, she could only saw the puppy eyes he was doing, like he was begging to Misaki trust him. "Okay, you won. Who would obey a retired circus performer over a friend as trustworthy as you. It's not like I will end up in a bizarre parallel reality or something like that."

Misaki then got up from the bench and started to chase the rats to see where they're going. "Pierre, why did you decided to follow them?"

"Squeak!"

"You heard something interesting? I only hope that thing can be useful to our search too."

Misaki chased the rats, almost losing the sight of them sometimes, until she end up in a crossroad full of rats digging the snow, like they're searching for something. Misaki didn't know why Pierre wanted to come to a rodent reunion like this one, she's worried If she get here for too long, she might contract a disease. She only understood her companion intents after she saw a rat digging out some fries from the snow.

"There are fries under the snow!" Misaki was perplexed, paying more attention in the ground, she realized that the fries were distributed in a straight line like It was a trail made of fries. Of course, It could be just be a coincidence and It would be nothing related with her mission, but Lisa once told Misaki that If somewhere there's fries there's Sayo, It's almost the same kind of relationship that water and life have.

"If we follow this trail, there's a high chance of finding Sayo-senpai. You did a great job Pierre."

"Squeak!"

"Now we finally have proper way to follow. I mean, literally"

Misaki followed the trail for hoping It would guide them to Sayo, but the trail end up being way bigger than Misaki expected. She have been following It for four blocks, how many fries end up falling on the ground to make a trail this long? She don't want to know.

After some more blocks, Misaki finally reached the end of the trail, that ended up in front of the door place she know very well. Misaki was actually standing in front of Tsugumi's house with a facepalm, feeling the dumbest person in the world for never have thought in the possibility of her senpai to be in the most obvious place she could go. After cursing herself a little, Misaki calmed down and decided to check once and for all if Sayo was there or not.

Misaki took deep breath and went to the front, hoping to have more results this time than she had in her other visits. Arriving there, she ringed the doorbell and waited for two minutes, but no one arrived, at least she already got used to It. "Well, I was expecting this situation, but how I will enter the hou-"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't come earlier. Then, how can I help you?... Are you alright?" The one answering the door was Tsugumi's mother, that is actually worried by the sight of a scared girl in front of her door.

"Yes, I just got a little surprised, It's the first time someone properly answer the door for me today. I think the third time is really the charm." Misaki tried to regain her composure after the scare she got, she really was caught off guard.

"I'm sorry, I scared you, but can you tell me why you're here"

Almost forgetting to tell why she was here, Misaki regained her composure and told her intentions. "I'm sorry, I came early of the morning without any warning, but perhaps you know If Sayo-senpai is here?"

"Sayo-senpai? Wait a minute." Tsugumi's mother gave another look to Misaki, widening her eyes. "Misaki-chan is that you? I was so focused in that horrible look of yours that I thought you were another person."

"Thanks for the kind words, but Sayo-senpai is here? Misaki tried to change the topic as quickly as she can. Mrs.Hazawa is known for make a lot of questions for her daughter's friends when she's not working, and Misaki don't want to be in an interrogation right now for a serie of motives, but mainly because she probably woudn't know the answer for the most of the questions.

"If you're after Sayo-chan, she's probably here. Well, I didn't saw her today, but she must be in Tsugumi's room..." Mrs.Hazawa stepped a little to left, revealing the continuation of the fries trail that was leading to up stairs. "When you get there, can you tell them that I'm already opening the Coffee?"

"No problem." Misaki then entered the house with Mrs.Hazawa permission and went up stairs, following the fries trail until she end up in front of Tsugumi's room door. She didn't have Tsugumi's consent to enter there, but in more of twenty years of life experience, Misaki learned, sometimes in the hard way, that mothers are absolute beings, so...

Misaki opened the door of Tsugumi's room, seeing no one inside of It, but unlike Sayo's room that had no sign that someone was there, this time Misaki was out of words with the sight of a mountain of fries over the bed of the room. She wasn't exaggerating when she called It a mountain, Misaki never saw so many fries together in her entire life, It was on the level of a Kokoro's doing.

"Hazawa-san, Sayo-senpai, are you here?" Misaki tried to call for someone. Tsugumi's mother said that they should be here, and neither of them would leave without tell anyone, so they only could be in one place.

After Misaki's call, the mountain of fries started to shake a little, increasing It's movements gradually. Some fries on the top started to fall like a avalanche in a snowy mountain. That process keep hapenning until a head poped out from the fries.

"It's already morning?" With her brown hair all messy and a sleepy face, Tsugumi was the one who showed Itself, but she don't seen to be fully awake right now.

"Rise and shine, Hazawa-san." Misaki greeted her newly awake friend.

"Good morning, Misaki-chan." With her eyes half closed, Tsugumi didn't found strange Misaki being in her room, not aware If this was the reality or not.

"Good morning, Hazawa-san. There's something I want to ask you, do you mind?"

"Of course not, ask what you want." Tsugumi replied while yawning.

"Did your keyboard always released smoke?" Misaki lied trying to take her out from this half awake state.

"If my keyboard always released sm- My keyboard!!!" Getting Hysterical after hearing the state of her instrument, Tsugumi quickly turned her head to the place she always puts her keyboard, but It was completely fine.

"Why did you lied to me Misaki-chan? Wait, Misaki-chan? Why are you here?" Completely awake this time, Tsugumi stranged the fact Misaki was in her room.

"I decided to pay a visit and your mother asked to me to tell you she already opening the Coffee."

"She already opening the coffee?! I oversleep/overslept to much. Thank you Misaki-chan, can you tell her I will be arriving in ten minutes?" Tsugumi started to move inside the mountain of fries, releasing more of her limbs from outside of It.

"You two are really trying to turn me in a message girl, aren't you? But It's not like do I min-." Misaki suddenly stopped talking in the middle of her phrase.

"Misaki-chan, are you alright?" Tsugumi asked to Misaki, worrying If something happened, since she suddenly fell silent and her face become all red.

"Y-Yes, the problem is-is." Couldn't express herself into words, Misaki looked away while trying to hold something in her head, but her usual cap wasn't there right now to help her hide to her face when she needs It the most.

"Misaki-chan, you don't look well. You're so red, maybe you caught a cold walking outside, It's been really cold lately. Let me just get up to check yo-" While trying to leave the mountain of fries, Tsugumi felt two hands hugging her from behind, stopping her to leave.

"Tsugumi-san, are you already leaving? Let's stay together a little more." Sayo who suddenly appeared from the fries, started to whisper in Tsugumi ear, pressing her body against her girlfriend's.

"Sayo-san, we overslept/oversleep too much, we can't spend more time together in the bed. Besides, Misaki-chan is here, and she doesn't look well- Whoa! Misaki-chan, what happened? You look far worse now." When Tsugumi looked to Misaki, she was shocked about how red she became, maybe her cold started to get worse while she was talking with Sayo.

Misaki was trying her best to look away, but her eyes were trying to get a glance by themselves, going against her own will. She had to do something about this, but she couldn't talk about It so directly, so she decided to intensively point to the problem, until the two on the bed realize It.

"What's wrong Misaki-chan? Where are you pointing?" Tsugumi wasn't understanding Misaki's actions, so she decided do see to where she's pointing (out. After looking to her both sides and finding nothing wrong, Tsugumi finally noticed that Misaki was pointing at her, but she didn't know why. Tsugumi then looked at herself to see why her friend was acting like that. At the first glance of her own body, the revelation came like a thunder that she fear so much, because until now Tsugumi was forgetting the really important factor, that is the fact both her and Sayo were completely naked with only fries covering a few parts of their bodys.

"KYAAAAAA!!!"

* * *

Inside of a empty Hazawa Coffee, Misaki was sitting while pressing a ice bag against her face, waiting for Tsugumi and Sayo to arrive. She wants to discuss the last night with her senpai as soon as possible, but she knows that doing It while she still in Tsugumi's room wasn't a good idea, for many reasons, so she's waiting for them to get dressed and come downstairs to talk in the Hazawa Coffee.

Hearing steps close to her, Misaki followed the sound and saw that the first one to arrive was Tsugumi. Misaki could tell that she just get out of the bath, of course, no one would stop smelling like salt and fry without a bath. They both greeted each other with quick nod, but they didn't know what to speak after passing by such embarassing situation, creating a really awkward mood.

"M-Misaki-chan, I'm truly sorry!" Breaking the ice, Tsugumi started to apologize to Misaki for what what happpened earlier.

"You already have apologized before, Hazawa-san. You don't need to do it again. Besides, I the one in the fault. I should have left the room at the moment a noticed the problem." Misaki don't think she needs a apologize, It was a accident after all, so she tried to make Tsugumi feel less guilty.

"You did nothing wrong, Misaki-chan. You only tried to alert me. I'm the one who should ashamed for have forgotten I was naked." Tsugumi determinedly replied Misaki. She don't like when other blame themselves for the problems she caused.

Seeing the burning determination in Tsugumi's gaze, Misaki gave up to convince her, nothing she can say would change the keyboardist mind. _Such passion for something so banal... She's being really Tsuguriffic right now, isn't she? Wait, what I'm thinking? I think I'm passing too much time with Aoba-san_.

"Okay, okay, you won. I accept your apologies, but let's stop talking about It, okay?."

"No problem! By the way, you want to order something?"

"I already had breakfast, so I only want a black coffee and a piece of cheese."

Tsugumi nodded and went to the kitchen to help her mother to make the dishes, leaving Misaki alone once again, but she didn't have to wait for to long to for someone arrive.

The one who arrived this time was the person who Misaki is trying to talk to for a long time, Hikawa Sayo. the first thing Misaki noticed was the fact she was still using the same clothes as yesterday, and judging the state she found the couple a little while ago, she doesn't have to be a genius to understand what happened.

Sayo sitted in front of Misaki, but she kept with closed expression, don't speaking a single word, creating another awkward silence less than five minutes from the last one. They remained like that for almost three minutes until one of them speak something.

"So, Okusawa-san... I think I have the obligation to give you my sincere apologies... For the wholly aggression matter." Like Tsugumi, Sayo also started the conversation apologizing for her past actions.

"It's not hurting anymore, so don't worry about It." Unlike Tsugumi's apologize, Misaki wasn't reluctant at all to receive Sayo's apologize, because she knows that teal-haired girl was the one who overdo it. Misaki just didn't get angry, because seeing her naked senpai running toward her to punch her in the face in response Tsugumi cry was definitely a great sight.

"I know I can't justify myself, but I want you to know that I only punched you because I thought you were a killer who entered in the room, and not because It was you. It didn't help the fact you were covered in blood stained bandages and clothes."

"Thank you, everyone is saying I'm looking horrible today." Misaki should start to count how many times someone will tell It to her until the day is over.

"Besides, why are you looking like that? Something happened?" Sayo asked concerned about Misaki's condition, she was completely fine last night.

"I also wished to know. That's why I'm here."

"The coffee is ready!" Unintentionally interrupting the talk, Tsugumi arrived with three coffee cups, placing them on the table. "The black one to Misaki-chan and here's your favorite, Sayo-san."

"Thank you very much, Tsugumi-san. There's no coffee better than yours. Perhaps are you sitting with us?" Sayo questioned, curious after seeing a third cup with her.

"Yes, my mother told me she can make de dishes alone, so I could sit with you two. I hope I'm not interrupting your talk."

"Your presence would never be a nuisance, Tsugumi-san, unlike that creepy smile on Okusawa-san face right now." Sayo pointed out the sudden smile on Misaki's face, who do not show smile without a reason, so It's starting to give Sayo a unconfortable feeling, but what disturbed her the most was the fact this smile has no feelings at all, like It was empty.

"I had no intention to be creepy. I just couldn't help to smile after knowing Hazawa-san was making your favorite breakfest without you even ask for It. I think my muscles reacted by their own after seeing such lovable couple." There was so much love in the air that Misaki didin't know If she would be able to breath If she stay there any longer. After seeing how much love and effort Tsugumi put into a single cup of coffee, Misaki is sure that even If this coffee was once bitter, now It's the sweetest one of house.

After hearing Misaki's words, the two lovebirds started to blush. They were so immersed in their own world that they basically forgot that Misaki was there. It became even more embarrassing by knowing It wasn't the first time It happened, luckly, until now It only happened between friends and family, but It don't change the fact It's still embarassing.

"So, Okusawa-san, you came here for a reason, aren't you? Why don't you tell It to us?" Sayo quickly changed the topic for something less embarrassing.

"Well, summing up, today I woke up looking like that without any memory of what happened last night. I'm looking for someone who can help me to know what happened yesterday the entire morning, but I wasn't so lucky, so I came here seeking answers."

"Okusawa-san, I'm sorry to inform you, but I don't have the answers you looking for. I was the first one to leave the bar last night and you were fine when I left, so I can't tell what might have happened to you." Sayo could feel the hope that Misaki was pinning on her, but she had no choice other than reluctantly tell her benefactor that she couldn't help her.

"I-I see..." To Misaki, hearing those words coming out her senpai mouth right now hurted way more than the punch she received from the same person. It wasn't Sayo's fault, Misaki was the one who pinnes to much faith on her. This may not have been the exposition moment she was expecting, but Misaki won't let all her efforts be in vain. "You may have left earlier, but please tell what happened before It, maybe there's a helpful detail. Everything can help!"

Sayo was really surprised, she wasn't expecting Misaki to being so pushy about It. She always complain about her bandmates usual ideas, but she usually end up following the flow of events anyway, so It's really rare to see her like that. It could have been a surprise, but Sayo is glad that she can still help her. "I don't mind telling you, besides I was owing that story to Tsugumi-san too."

"Everything started when I was sitting in a bench and Okusawa-san e Ichigaya-san foun-."

"You don't need tell It since the beginning." Misaki pointed out.

"I know, but Tsugumi-san still don't know that part."

"Ah! So keep going. I will wait for my part."

"So, retaking the story. They found me whil-."

* * *

**BAAAAAAAANG!!!**

"I'm really upset. How many times you think I had to wear a fake smile on the face while my classmates are bragging about their boyfriends and girlfriends. THAT IS DAMN ANNOYING, YOU BASTARDS! They only do this because the want to show off how happy they are now after leaving this rock bottom that is be single." Misaki was slaming her fist gainst the table in rage, releasing a week worth of frustrations.

"Ichigaya-san, is Okusawa-san really okay? She is being so, so not herself." Sayo asked, don't knowing how to react to the new side of Misaki that she never saw before.

"You don't need to worry, she always like that when she drink, Complaining about how tiresome is her week and other useless stuff like now." Arisa indifferent answered Sayo, she was so used to It that she see no reason to make a big deal about It. 

"Misaki-chin you need to enjoy while you still free from the unbreakable chains of a health relationship filled up with love." Moca tried to convice Misaki that being single is not a bad thing, but It had the opposite effect.

"Is really that awful to listen other people love stories? There are a lot of couples who come to the Hazawa Coffee, so I'm a little used to It." Eve asked innocently, don't knowing why Misaki is so upset about It.

"Wakamiya-san, don't let those three already engaged demons make your mind. Unlike us, those three have super cute girlfriends that some people would kill to have one. They have been living in such lovable conditions that they a long time ago have forgotten about how being single sucks, so they can't really understand how we feel, did you get It?"

"Yes! a warrior must have a loved one waiting at home to heal It's soul when It came back from a deadly battle."

"That's what I mean! Someone can't live without the warm life source that is the love!"

"Love is so bushido!"

"That's the spirit!"

The other three could only see Eve and Misaki shouting to each other about how awful is being single, at least, until each one of their phrases have a 'bushido' in It, letting their conversation kinda incomprehensible.

"I think those two are already drunk. It would hard to say so many nonsenses while sober." Arisa commented relieved. Usually It would be only her and Misaki here, so It's good to have other people to her annoy.

"No, I think Okusawa-san is right." Expressing her thoughts, Sayo managed to surprise everyone.

"Say what?!" Arisa couldn't belive in what she just heard.

"As expected from Sayo-senpai. Even with a great girlfriend like Hazawa-san, she hasn't forgotten how is be single. You are really a respectable senpai that everyone should have as inspiration." Misaki couldn't help but to praise Sayo for her achievements.

"I don't deserve such praise, Okusawa-san. How you said before, I really had forgotten the feeling of be single. The truth is, I had a fight with Tsugumi-san today."

"No way!!!" A chorus of surprised voices expressed their astonishment. The only one who remained silent was Moca, like she already knew about that fight, but others were completely dumbfounded by the news. Who would think that was possible to Sayo and Tsugumi have a fight, they're almost the definition of perfect couple, maybe the saying, that even the best of couples has their fights, is right.

"After the fight, I was feeling a horrible sensation of emptiness in my heart. At first I thought It was the notorious broken heart, but as I started to understand this feeling, I realized that my heart was fine, the only change is that I couldn't feel the love that was feeling It anymore, so I can understand at least a little how bad is to live without this love."

"So that's why you were in the bench." Arisa remembered how lifeless Sayo was when she found her. Now she understand why.

"Yes. I was feeling like my world was falling apart, so I just sitting in the first bench I saw after wander for so long adrift. I would probably still be sitting there if you two hadn't shown up, so I'm glad you called me."

"Tsugu is not someone who can hold grudge for more than a day, she must be chiller to talk tomorrow." Moca made no big deal of the fight, saying that everything would be fine soon.

"Waiting for her to calm down to talk to her don't seems me right, It's feels like I'm running away from my problems."

"I still don't get how you two had a fight. I can't even imagine Tsugumi-san mad with someone, even more with her girlfriend." Eve was unable to fully process the idea of this fight, If wasn't Sayo herself telling It, she wouldn't have believed.

"I also don't understand why she got so angry. She said she wanted to try a new recipe for me to taste It, but I heard her mother commenting that It was a really difficult one to make, so I decided to make a surprise and help her after the end of my classes. I thought she would be happy with my help, but she end up getting mad at me because I didn't trust her and she wanted to do It for me alone. The rest of the fight is kinda blurry..."

"Women have these things in their bodies called _expectations_. When you don't live up to them, they get angry at us. You did nothing wrong, Sayo-senpai. Trust me!" Misaki drank more from her beer and declared her support to Sayo.

"You also a woman you know." Arisa quickly poited out something Misaki seemed to be forgetting.

"Arisa, don't be silly. My expectations were shattered a long time ago, and I doubt I would ever get them back."

"Okay, Mrs.Tragic past, but let's left the talk about how bad is your life to a later date. One of us need some help."

"Indeed, We should help Sayo-san to make up with Tsugumi-san... But how we gonna do It?" Eve grab her chin, thinking the best way to help her troubled friend.

"Guys, I'm glad you all want to help me, but you don't need to do this. That's my own problem and I must resolve It alone."

"Cut off this your sense of duty. At the moment you accepted to join the drink night, you also lost your free will to go against the majority, so If we want to help you, we gonna help you." Annoyed by Sayo trying to act all alone even after they offered help, Misaki yelled at her, giving Sayo no right to refuse.

"We should give Sayo-san some love advices. Moca-chan here have a lot of love knowledge to share." Moca would love to tell her advices to more people. The only one who still believe in her advices is Himari, while she's in her periodic love crisis.

"It's not a bad Idea, but no one here can give her a good one. Follow a love advice from Aoba-san is the worst mistake someone can make, I also doubt Okusawa-san can give a good one while drunk and the Wakamiya-san love knowledge must be outdated over at least two hundred years. The only reasonable option is me." Arisa don't think she can give a really good love advice, but she gives incredible advices compared to others here.

"Sorry Arisa, but your tsundere tatics are not suitable to this make up operation." Of course Misaki woudn't waste the opportunity to tell the truth and make fun of Arisa at the same time.

"Shut up!"

"That's what I'm talking about."

"I had a great idea! If no one can give a good advices, then we can tell Sayo-san some love stories, maybe It can help her to know how to deal with the situation. What you think Sayo-san?" Realizing that her first idea woudn't work out, Eve reformulated It in a way that everyone could help or at least be less potentially harmful.

"Well, I think there's no harm to listen some love stories."

"Perfect! Now we just need to decide who gonna tell It." 

The entire table fell silent with each one of It's members thinking who would be the best of them to this job. Their options were so bad that they ended up wasting five minutes like that. This unsuited mood to a bar only ended when Arisa was the first to talk.

"I don't believe I will say that, but I think Okusawa-san is our best choice."

"Arisa, you need to calm down and take some rest. You must be drunk, so why don't let the others decide?" Misaki hold Arisa hand in hurry, really worried about her friend condition. She's usually avoid drink too much, so for her to be drunk, something must have happened.

"The drunk here It's you!" Arisa shouted Misaki's assumption back, pulling her hand from her friend's grip. "I don't suggested It because I wanted, but our other options are even worse than you. We basically have the same problem from the last idea, but I believe you can at least tell a story of your classmates. Aren't you always complaining about them telling those stories for you?"

"She's right, Misaki-san. You must have a huge repertory about the romantic life of college students." Eve agreed with Arisa. They had been linstening Misaki complaining about those classmates in love almost a hour straight, so she must get a lot of love stories from them.

"As If! Most of the stories my classmates tell me about are about how much they are 'lovable' lovebirds with their lovers or about break ups that are so dumb that makes you want to scream, so they're basically useless. I only know one story that is not that bad, but It still a waste of time."

"Come on, Misaki-chin! You can at least tell this less bad story, unless you want to make our dear Sayo-san here sad."

Misaki doesn't know If It's because Moca's speech or the fact she's drunk, but she couldn't look at Sayo without seeing her with huge puppy eyes anymore, making refuse anything to her impossible.

"Sigh... Fine, I will tell the story, so please stop with those puppy eyes."

"Puppy eyes?" Sayo didn't know what Misaki was talking about.

"But I'm not drunk enough to tell It now, so let order some some more drinks."

"Even more!? Aren't you drunk enough after drinking so much beer?" Arisa expressed her total disbelief toward Misaki, she know that her friend loose her self control while drinking, but isn't It a bit too much? Maybe that's why she never drink with her bandmates, Arisa couldn't predict the size of the catastrophe this would generate.

"Arisa, no one will tell me how drunk I need to be to do something. Waiter!!"

After the waiter brought new drinks to everyone and Misaki drink the a entire beer mug in ten seconds, she was finally ready to tell the story.

"Are you sure you want to hear that story?" Misaki questioned, hoping they would change their mind, but the other four just nodded em agreement. "Okay... Once upon a time, there was simple girl like any other. She knew how normal she was, even so, going against all the common sense, she ended up falling for the Sun...  
...  
...  
...  
Unable to attract the attention of the sun, she came up with a thousand and one plans to be noticed by her beloved...  
...  
...  
...  
Day after day, the girl tried her plans without any success, but one day she had a miraculous encounter with the cookie fairy, who sympathized with the girl, offering her help for the girl to conquer the Sun's heart...  
...  
...  
...  
After hundreds of failures, the girl finally reached the sun's heart in her last plan and It miraculously responded those feelings. The girl never been so happy, after years of one sided love, she finally have someone who she can call her lover. The rest of their days were filled with love and joy, It would be a fairytaile ending if it weren't for a catastrophic event that completely changed the course of their story...  
...  
...  
...  
The Moon has not risen and the weather was not cloudy, even so the skys were dark, because something really special was missing, the Sun. The girl, surrounded by world sinked into darkness, coudn't see her loved one anymore, she was suffering like if a vital part of her had been forcibly taken away while the darkness consumed her...  
...  
...  
...  
Now, everytime she walks under the sky she would stop to look at the empty sky. She know It would only make her sad, make her suffer even more, make her miss those happy and bright times once again, but inside her heart, even if tiny and almost unnoticeable, she have hope, the hope of being able to see your beloved Sun again."

"So, what did you think of the story? I know It was a bad on- Eh?" Misaki was caught completely off guard by the sight of her four friends crying so much that the table was starting to get wet.

"That story is so sad @sniff@ Why had It to end like that?" Eve was trying to dry her tears with a tissue, but she already drenched a lot of of them and it doesn't look like she'll stop anytime soon.

"Guys, you don't need to cry, It's just a story." Misaki was trying to reduce the unexpected side effects that her story accidentally brought.

"You don't need to lie just to cheer us up, Okusawa-san. We know very well this is not just a story. It's clearly a parable that you made to make us realize how important is the person we love to us and how we must value their more." Sayo was really touched. She never would expect Misaki to come up with this beautiful story in a matter of minutes just to teach her a lesson that she should never have forgotten.

"I think there is some kind of misunderstanding."

"That's why I won't waste another second." Sayo abruptly raised from her seat and raised her fist, expressing how determined she is. "I must make up with Tsugumi-san as soon as possible and nothing will stop me."

"Sayo-senpai, how much did you drink?" Misaki herself didn't noticed at the moment, but when she was telling the story, Sayo couldn't stand so much sadness, so she ordered some drinks to help her to with It, getting drunk in the process. "You know what? There's nothing I can say that will stop you to go and meet her, so I can only represent everyone here at the table and wish you good luck."

"Thanks, Okusawa-san and everyone. You gave me courage to face this fight that I have been running away the entire day. I must make up with her and ensure that never will happen again. So, farewell" With a refreshed will, Sayo left the bar and went towards where her loved one is.

"She already went to her first drunk mission. They grow up so fast."

"I don't think It's something to be proud about."

Ignoring Arisa, Misaki could fell her eyes watering a little. She was felling like a mother who the daughter has grow old enough to leave and live by herself, but those emotions were cut off as soon she remembered something really important.

"She just left without pay, didn't she?"

* * *

"I think I starting to remember It now." As Misaki heard Sayo story, her memory started to refresh, recovering some of her memories from last night together with headache that come alongs with It.

"I really thankful by your help back then, if it wasn't for that me and Tsugumi-san would be still in bad terms, so If there's something a can do to help you, do not hesitate in asking." Sayo's sense of responsibility wouldn't let her to fully rest until she manages to pay the debit she have with someone who helped her so much.

"She's right, Misaki-chan. You helped us a lot, so It's natural to help you back." After hearing the reason why Sayo decided to make up with her so soon, Tsugumi couldn't help to also feel debited with Misaki.

"I don't think there's something to help. I wanted to know what happened yesterday as soon as possible, that's why I rushed to talk with Sayo-senpai, but in the end I think I will just wait for them to answer their phones." It's true that Misaki want to solve this mystery as fast as she can and go home to rest her body, mind and soul, but It's not like she will be walking on the streets and some random event gonna happen that would lead her closer to the solution of this mystery. She actually have no clue what to do, so she just can wait.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help you."

"Don't feel sorry. You made me remember more of last nigh events and I'm happy enough with just that. Although, you didn't explain why you two were sleeping under a mountain of fries."

"I hoped you wouldn't ask. The reason is that huge amount os fries is-."

* * *

"Keep running Hikawa Sayo, don't dare to be a thousandth late." After Sayo left the bar, she had been in a constant run to Tsugumi' house. She could feel her feets hurting from running the entire way. "At the same instant I meet with Tsugumi-san, I will do my best to make our relationship go back as it was before... No, I will make It stronger than before. I just need to show how determined I am and how strong is my love for her with, with... I don't have anything to show to her."

Sayo have forgotten she was coming from a bar, so she don't have anything to give to Tsugumi to express her feelings right now. "I must give her something worthy to be a present to Tsugumi-san, but what in the world can bring so much joy to be at least one eighth of the hapiness Tsugumi-san bring to me? Wait, I think I know exactly what give to her."

Not slowing her pace, Sayo changed her path a little to be able to stop in a specific store. Lucky, that store is one of the few ones which are open this time of the night.

Arriving at the store, Sayo waste no time and went directly to the cashier. She has a imporatant appointment with the destiny and she won't be late. 

"How can I help you?" The cashier didn't get surprised by Sayo's arrival. It's not that uncommon someone appears that hour, It's also used to deal with the weird things that happen in the late night shift. He will never forget the day when someone in pink bear suit arrived, bought five hamburgers and left entering a limousine. 

"I want your entire stock of fries!"

"Eh?" But It wasn't expecting that.

* * *

"...That's how I got the fries."

"I was so delighted when she appeared in the front door with so many fries that I coudn't feel angry at her anymore, so we make up. I think I wanted to make up all along, but I didn't have the courage to this yesterday, but thanks to Misaki-chan encouragement, me and Sayo-san had a happy sleep." Tsugumi confirmed that the fries really were a great present. Even though she know that if Sayo hadn't bought them, the results would be almost the same. Tsugumi just couldn't forget the strong impressing her girlfriend made when she arrived yesterday.

"I'm sure you two had a great night." Misaki replied, teasing the two of them.

Sayo and Tsugumi faces became red, they couldn't confirm what Misaki is implying is true, but they also couldn't deny It, otherwise, how they would explain why they were naked on the same bed? Even the silence is compromising.

"Switching the topic. Sayo-senpai, I knew you was here because I followed a trail of fries on the street, but theres something I don't understand. If you bought the fries in the way to here, why didn't you bought It on the fastfood next to this house instead of a distant one?"

Regaining her composure, Sayo took a sip of her coffee, took a deep breath and stared at Misaki with a serious gaze. "I didn't realized It back then."

"Fair enough."

"It's not her fault Misaki-chan. Sayo-san was drunk last night and she had the trouble to carry those fries all the way to here, It show how determined she was." Tsugumi defended her girlfriend. She could even thought the same as Misaki, but she can't deny her lover efforts.

"You don't need to praise me for that Tsugumi-san. I didn't do It to prove something, the only thing in my mind back then was the desire to make up with you."

"Sayo-san..." Tsugumi could feel her face getting red. She's very happy hearing that, but she's also embarassed. It's a complicated feeling she know very well.

"Young love..." Misaki whispered to herself while watching the couple in front of her flirting with each other, like they forgot she was there. She would have enjoyed better this awkward situation If there wasn't something bothering her. Misaki asked Sayo everything she knew about yesterday and she supposedly told everything, but there's a piece that isn't fitting in this puzzle. Maybe she picked another puzzle's pieces or wrong pieces were given to her, but the only way to know It is asking directly.

"You really had a great adventure, hadn't you Sayo-senpai? It was like a knight's journey to retrieve your loved one from the tower. Of course It wasn't a easy task, you had to pass through a lot of challenges like running to arrive here on time, carrying a lot of fries for a long time, kissing your sister..."

The instant Misaki said the last phrase, Sayo who was drinking her coffer suddenly spitted the caffeinated liquid towards Misaki's face.

"Thanks for the bath." Misaki thanked sarcastically with her entire face soaked. At least the coffee wasn't that hot, otherwise she would have to add another wound to the list.

"...It wasn't a dream, was It?" Sayo made a question that she don't want to know the answer. She was already white like she just saw a ghost and she have a feeling that the truth will only make It worse.

"I'm sorry Sayo-senpai, but that was nothing but reality."

"Sayo-san, why are you so pale? Misaki-chan what you mean by 'kissing your sister'?" Being the only one who is not understanding anything, Tsugumi want some answers.

"I'm sorry Tsugumi-san, Okusawa-san. I didn't tell everything that happened last night, even though you asked me to do It so. I thought It was a dream, but seems that It really have happened-"

* * *

"Keep running Hikawa Sayo, don't dare to be a thousandth late." After Sayo left the bar, she had been in a constant run to Tsugumi' house. She could feel her feets hurting from running the entire way. "It's there, I can see Tsugumi-san house, I'm finally arriving."

After running a little more, Sayo reached the front door. When she was about to press the bell, she suddenly had the feeling that her key would work in this door, so she decided to try It before ring the bell. Miraculously, the key worked even though It was another door.

Unlocking the door, Sayo entered the house. She thought that she would need to enter in Tsugumi's room to meet her, but it took much less than she expected. As soon as she entered, Sayo saw Tsugumi on the sofa, which she quickly got up from just to greet her.

 _Tsugumi-san was waiting for me? Maybe she also wanted to end this fight_.

Sayo slowly approached Tsugumi and pressed her against the wall. Even her didn't know what she's exactly doing, It's like her body is moving by Itself, but she was too focused on the girl in front of her to worry about It. Not being able to hold herself, Sayo grabbed Tsugumi chin and pressed her lips against hers.

While kissing intensively her girlfriend, Sayo started to realize something really strange was happening. The living room was gradually changing It's form to a really familiar and Tsugumi's hair was becoming a teal colored little by little.

"Hina!?" Sayo didn't know how, but Tsugumi suddenly became her sister. "Wait, that's my house?" Analyzing her surroundings, Sayo realized she was in her living room, even though she was sure she was at Tsugumi's house five seconds ago.

"I think I drank too much. I should drink some water and go back to my way to make up with Tsugumi-san."

* * *

"So, this is what happened. That memory was so strange and blurry that I thought It was a dream, but looks like I was wrong."

"Wait, even Sayo-san didn't know If It really have happened, so how did you know about It Misaki-chan." Tsugumi was curious to know how Misaki, who wasn't even around when It happened, knew about this occurrence.

"Before I came here I went to her house. I woke up Hina-san who was sleeping in the living room and she told me everything, but you don't need to worry Sayo-senpai, she's not angry." Misaki answered Tsugumi's question while still drying the coffee that Sayo gracefully spitted on her face with a towel.

"Thank God." Sayo could feel the weight of the guilty lifting from her heart, she was worried If Hina would be angry at her because of that, but seems she understood It was an accident.

"Actually, she got really happy. When she woke up already kissing me, thinking I was you. She said her heart belongs to Murayama-senpai, but she don't mind being a kissing sister."

"Oh God..." Once again her heart got heavier, but this time filled with despair.

"She also asked me to tell you about the _boppin_ idea to make a kissing schedule to decide when her lips will belongs to you or Murayama-san. You really have a lot of things to resolve once you get home Sayo-senpai."

"..." There's not life in Sayo's eyes anymore, she could feel her soul leaving her body by the mouth.

"Misaki-chan, stop teasing Sayo-san. She have a serious problem to deal." Tsugumi quickly grabbed the drifting Sayo's soul and put It again in her body. Then, she started to lecture Misaki for almost send her girlfriend to a better place.

"I don't like to hear It from you, Hazawa-san. You're trying to hide It, but your face is totally showing that even you is also finding this whole situation funny."

"Eh!?" Not having noticed It before, Tsugumi quickly covered her ginning mouth with both hands. "I-I think I will check If the food is ready."

Tsugumi run towards the kitchen to hide from Sayo, but a minute later she really came back with the food, what a coincidence. She placed the dishes in the table, some toasts to her, a cheese to Misaki and a delicious looking omurice to Sayo with a heart drawn with ketchup on the top of It.

Misaki could clearly see that Sayo's breakfest was filled with love. It even made Sayo recover from her almost dead state. On another hand, her cheese is the simplest thing she could ask through the menu.

"Misaki-chan, are you sure you want to eat just a cheese?" Misaki ate many times in the Hazawa Coffee, but she never ordered just a piece of cheese before, even when she wasn't hungry at all, so Tsugumi couldn't resist asking about it.

"I won't eat this. I ordered It to Pierre."

"Pierre?" Both Sayo and Tsugumi didn't know who Misaki is talking about. They only understood what Misaki mean when they saw a rat coming out from her coat pocket that was over the chair next her.

"That's for you, Pierre." Misaki picked her partner and placed him beside the cheese, which he started to eat the moment he landed there.

"Okusawa-san, why do you have a rat with you?" Sayo asked dumbfounded . She don't think she really needed to ask that, but Misaki gave no sign of explaining It.

"I found Pierre in my way to here, he really helped me to find Sayo-senpai." Misaki replied like It was the most common thing in the world.

"Squeak!"

"What you mean with you did everything, you stayed in my pocket most of the time."

Sayo and Tsugumi shared some looks, they don't knew how to react to Misaki's unusual behavior. The biggest problem is that she doesn't seems to notice It, and they don't want tell It to her only to make her bad day even more complicated, making them just whisper among themselves.

" _Sayo-san, is Misaki-chan really alright? She's the only HaroHapi member that wouldn't expect to see talking with animals, I'm worried_."

" _You don't need to worry so much, Tsugumi-san. Okusawa-san must still be affected by the alcohol she drank yesterday and it looks like she hit her head really hard, so It must be temporary_."

"Something happened? You aren't eating your breakfest." Misaki asked concerned with them.

"We are already going to eat." The two of them answered, trying to not show their worried faces to Misaki.

* * *

After everyone ate their breakfest, Misaki didn't have anything to do but to wait someone answer her calls. She do not have a reason to wander in the streets anymore, so she decided to go back home to rest while waiting for It.

"I think I should go home. I don't have any clues to where to search for answers from last night, so I can only wait for something happen." Misaki got up from hes chair and headed to her senpai "Thank you very much for telling me what you knew from yesterday, Sayo-senpai."

"I was just trying to return a favor, you don't need to thank me for that." Sayo don't think she really helped her, but there's nothig she can do about that, so she don't want to ben thanked for such half baked job.

"I hope you solve this mystery as soon as possible, Misaki-chan. I wiil save a cake for you when it's all over, don't worry It's on the house" Tsugumi know that to Misaki solve this mystery is just a time matter. She didn't have survived so many life threatening situaions for nothing.

"Thank you two. I hope we can drink together another day, that time with Hazawa-san. Despite that Aoba-san only appeared because the Afterglow's movie night was canceled by the yesterday fight, so It could be hard to happen again. I don't want to interrupt your tradition." Even If It's a rare occasion, Misaki would enjoy to have those two in another drink night, but one she would remember what happened.

"But wasn't me the one who canceled It." Tsugumi's revelation made Misaki raise a eyebrow. "It's true that I was sad after the fight, but I wanted to see a movie with my friens para de-stress. I was almost leaving when Ran cancelled It in last minute, because she had to solve a urgent matter. I really wanted to go, but thanks to that, I was here to open the door to Sayo-san when she arrived."

There's something really off in that story. Misaki know by experience that Tsugumi's shift end only at 6:30, so the movie night was canceled at least 6:40 onwards. That wouldn't be a problem If It wasn't the fact she found Moca before that hour and she said to her that the event was already canceled. It really is a curious situation, but Misaki is too busy with her own problems to think about a Afterglow conspiracy, so she will ignore It for now.

"We can arrange it another day. I'm leaving for now." Misaki than picked her coat to leave, but when she started to wear It, she saw something falling from It. "What is that?"

Giving a closer look, Misaki realized that the thing that fell from her coat was some type of furr. Pierre tryed to analyze It, but the instant he sniffed It, he ran away back to Misaki's pocket, hiding in fear.

"Judging by Pierre's reaction, It must be cat furr."

"Why do you have cat furr inside your coat, Misaki-chan?"

"No idea." Misaki shrugged, she doesn't even remember how much she was hurt, much less why she has cat furr in her coar.

"Okusawa-san, I think I find a way to help you." Sayo made a major declaration, surprising everyone in the room. "I know someone who can assist you to discover your past whereabouts and you just need to take that furr with you. Just give me some time and I will write a recommendation letter for you, so you will porbably have no problem with that person refusing to help you. And don't say I don't need to do this, It is the least i can do for you to pay my debit."

Sayo completely saw through Misaki, she really was going to say that there's no need to help her so much. Sayo made clear that Misaki can't refuse her help, so once again she could express her gratitude with words. "Thank you."

**Recommendation letter obtained.**

* * *

"I'm definitely leaving this time." Misaki was in the front of the open door saying goodbye to her friends that helped her before she leaves. She could saw Tsugumi waving to her with a kind smile while Sayo was only standing with her arms crossed.

"Wish you luck in your journey, Okusawa-san."

Misaki nodded to Sayo and finally leaved the place. Now she's leading herself to meet someone who can give her a new clue to help her solve this mystery that always give her a bad feeling. Misaki only hope this acquaintance of Sayo is a person easy to deal.

"Misaki-chan is determined person, I'm sure everthing will end well, you just need to trust her." Back to Hazawa Coffee ,Tsugumi was calming down Sayo, who was reluctant to let Misaki go alone in a such bad state, she just didn't call an ambulance because Tsgumi asked her to do not do It while they were still in her room. 

BzzBzzt!

"Hm?" In the middle of the talk, Tsugumi heard her phone vibrating. It probably is just a line notification, so she decided to keep talking, It's not like It is something urgent.

> **Himari-chan** : Tsugu, bad news!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drunk conversations are really fun to write.


	7. Michelangelo Had It Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've been foreshadowing this chapter since chapter 3.

### Michelangelo Had It Hard

On the way to meet a unknown person that can help her to find clues about a not so distant past, Misaki was currently leaving the downtown while following the map that Sayo drew for her. She only don't understand why It's a so detailed hand drawn map, instead of just write the address. Tsugumi said that Sayo is so used to make those so called Hinaproof maps that she think It's more efficient to do It than write the adress. Misaki don't get It at all, but she wouldn't complain about a so well made map.

As Misaki followed the Sayo's map more scared she get, because It's so accurate that It's creeping her out. Every store she passed by was drawn to the smallest detail, even the lady who was walking with a dog on the other side of the street was on the map. Misaki was really scared of Sayo cartographic abilities that border the paranormal.

Ignoring the details of the map to keep her sanity, Misaki keep following the direction until she arrived at a familiar street. Misaki has been here many times before, so she have a idea of who this acquaintance of Sayo might be.

Walking a bit more, Misaki finally reached her destination. Now, she's facing the house of the Roselia's bassist, Imai Lisa. When she realized she was close to Lisa's house everything made sense. Lisa is a Sayo close friend and she's well know by always helping her friends, so of course her senpai would send Misaki to her.

"I know Imai-san advices are top quality, but I didn't know she also is able to track someone's past whereabouts. She sure is a capable person." Realizing that she was standing in front of the house for a while, Misaki decided to go to the door and ring the beel before someone found her actions suspicious, but when she was about to ring It, she end up dropping the map. "Eh?"

When Misaki picked the dropped map, she gave another look at It in the process and realized she made a mistake. The destination indicated by the map wasn't Lisa's house but the one besides It. Misaki didn't expected this development.

Correcting her previous mistake, Misaki retired herself from the bassist's house and went to the other one on It's side. She really have no idea who she gonna meet anymore, but If Sayo sended her here that means It's a trustworthy person. Then, Misaki arrived at Lisa's neighbor door and once again ringed the bell.

Unlike the other times, Misaki actually heard some steps inside when she ringed the bell, but in a matter of seconds the sound changed of light steps to something that sounded like a lot of thing falling and crashing against each other like a old cartoon show. Those loud sounds only stopped five seconds before Misaki hear the door being unlocked.

The door opened just a little. Misaki was a bit nervous until she saw a head with familiar silver haird appearing in the door gap. "Good morning..."

"Minato-san!?" Misaki had no idea she is Lisa's next-door neighbor, maybe It's because she was in low profile almost everytime she come to this street, so they never had a chance to meet here before. Misaki's glad that Sayo sended her someone she know, but she don't get why she didn't told her beforehand.

"Okusawa-san? Why are you here? Never mind, I'm too busy right now to have a guest. You can come back another time." Yukina quickly dismissed Misaki without even ask why she's here in the first place. Then, thinking that her affairs were settled, Yukina started to close the door.

"Minato-san, wait a second! Ouch!" Trying to stop Yukina to close the door, Misaki in the heat of the moment committed a big mistake that she regretted very badly afterwise. For some reason, the first action Misaki brain ordered the body to do was to reach out her left hand to stop the Roselia's vocalist, but of course she end up with her finger being crushed between the door and the frame. Why she didn't use her cane instead? She also don't know, but she can say for sure that her fingers are hurting as hell.

Yukina, who found strage that the door wasn't closing, noticed a pair of fingers obstructing the way. She immediately open the door in despair and saw Misaki grabbing her hand in pain. "Okusawa-san, are you alright? Why did you put your fingers there? You look really hurt, maybe we should call a ambulance or even better, Lisa."

"I'm not that hurt. The pain should pass in a short time, so you don't need to worry." Misaki isknown by her friends for lying a lot about her health. Actually, It already became bad habit of her, so she will always say she's alright even in the worst situations, but she's not lying this time.

Feeling sincerity in Misaki voice, Yukina calmed down. She's glad that she didn't hurt her, but Yukina really want to know why she went that far to stop the door closing. If she wanted to be persistent, she just needed to enter by the window. Yukina always do that when Lisa don't want to open the door. "Okusawa-san, why did you want to enter so badly in my house? I never expected the Hello Happy World would try to kidnap me to brainwash me to turn Roselia into a second version of your band so soon."

 _Soon?_ "No, I didn't came here to kidnap you. Sayo-senpai sended me here, because apparently you're the only one who can help me right now, so she writed this letter for you."

Yukina took Sayo's letter from Misaki and opened It. The content of the letter is mainly a explanation of Misaki situation and how she could help her. It even have a list of benefits she can gain If she decides to help her. When Yukina ended to read It, she looked at Misaki with sparking eyes. "You shall enter, Okusawa-san. We have a lot to talk about."

_It was a lot easier and painful than I expected, but why I still have a bad feeling about It?_

Misaki then followed Yukina and stopped at the moment she laid her feet inside the house. The insides of Yukina's house looks like a scenario of a hurricane disaster. There are a lot of random objects and working tools scattered on the floor, many boxes stacked in the rooms and some buckets filled with something that looks like... Plaster? It's no surprise Yukina made so much noise just to answer the door, It's almost impossible to walk through this house without bump into something.

"Minato-san, what happened here? I don't see a house so messed up like this one in a long time."

"It's not what but who. I'm in the process to write a new song and those are my inspiration materials."

"I see... So, how are you going?"

"I stayed up all night and until now I made no progress."

"I can relate to that." Usually a friend would criticize Yukina for going so far just to write a song alone, but Misaki is not hypocritical enough to lecture someone for doing a thing that she did many times before and keep doing from time to time.

After passing through all this mess without a mojor incident, Yukina lead Misaki to the dining table, the only unobstructed place for them to talk. "So, Okusawa-san, I read about the situation and how bad It is, despite that anyone could guess you're having a hard time after seeing that hitted by a truck look you have."

"I'm not really trying to hide It." Another person to the list.

"She also asked If I could help you and I think I'm capable to do It so. The problem is, I can only help If you're worthy It, so you will need to pass through some trials."

Misaki is not surprised by this development. Nothing today went in the way she wanted to, sometime even the opposite direction, so It was expected to Yukina do something like that. Misaki only hope those trials don't involve cleaning this mess, picking thing on the floor and lifting boxes would only make her backache worse.

Yukina then got up from her chair and started to search for something in the middle of the boxes. When she finally found It, Misaki saw her coming back with some pens and papers, which she put in front of her.

"Okusawa-san, your first trial will be a evaluation of your soul. You must draw something while blindfolded, so I will be able to read your spiritual resonance through your drawing."

Maybe the lack of sleep affected her more than Misaki anticipated. Misaki have no problem to do this, but she's sure that is not the right way to do It, maybe she shoud convince her to use another method. "Minato-san, I don't think I can draw something at least barely understandable while blindfolded, so It would be hard to for you to read It."

"There's no problem. I will help you."

"If you say so." Misaki than just accepted the situation, letting Yukina tie a blindfold over her eyes. Picking a paper and a pen, Misaki started to draw. She's not good enough at drawing to do It without seeing a thing, so she mostly depended on Yukina's instructions.

"I think It's enough. Good work, Okuzawa-san." Before Misaki could even remove blindfold, Yukina had already taken the drawing for herself. She was analyzing It corner to corner with a unusual smile that do not express good intentions at all.

"You have a splendid soul here, few people have souls so majestic, captivating, beautiful... And shiny as yours." Yukina spent almost five minutes praising Misaki's 'soul' until she lacked adjectives to describe It. "I think your soul is more than suitable to join Roselia, what do you think?"

"Eh!? What the heck with your standard to recruit people!?" Misaki almost couldn't believe she just heard. She was just invited to be the sixth Roselia member because of a drawing. If Sayo was here, she might have fainted by the shock. "Minato-san, you can't ask me to join your band just because you liked my 'soul'. Besides, I don't think I would suit the whole gothic style, even though I would like to see a edgy version of Michelle.

"That's unfortunate." Yukina got a little disappointed with Misaki's answer. She really wanted someone with a soul like that in her band.

"By the way, can I see my drawing? I'm really curious to see why you liked It so much." Misaki couldn't wait to see her drawing anymore. She needs to know why It's so special that Yukina is almost drooling just by looking at it. Misaki expected some kind of a beautiful abstract drawing with various interpretations, but when she received It, the drawing was so unique that she almost unbelievable. "Is that... Mori, the previous prime minister!?"

"Wrong, can not you see that is a cat?" Yukina stated that with the whole confidence of the world.

"A cat? Isn't It a bit too plump? It looks more like a lemon with limbs."

"There a lot of fat cats in the world and yellow cats too, so that's no argument to deny the catness of your soul."

"I really can't see a cat, are you sure It have any similarity with a feline?"

"Maybe you need improve your cat knowledge, Okusawa-san. Can not you see those cat features? Those fluffy ears, that unmistakable cat like mouth and those sharp eyes... Which, by the way, looks really like yours.

"What? My eyes don't look like that, It's just your imagination... Minato-san, why are you staring at me like that?" Misaki didn't know why, but the way she is being looked at gave her chills.

"It's nothing... By the way, Okusawa-san. You don't mind If I frame this drawing, do you?" It's not always that you have a cat picture so great like this one, so Yukina can't waste the chance to have It as a new frame in her room.

"I don't mind. You can have this 'cat' all for yourself."

"Thank you very much, Okusawa-san. Can you wait a few minutes for the second trial? I need to nail something." Without even waiting Misaki answer the question, Yukina ran to her room as fast as she could, somehow avoiding to bump or step on something on her way.

"Wow! Minato-san is really energetic when there are cats involved. She even went to nail the frame by herself, thats's because Imai-san san told me that she is really clumsy in domestic affairs".

"Ouch!" Misaki heard a peculiar sound coming from the room above her.

"Sigh... It's better help her."

In order to impedir Yukina to break her own fingers, Misaki also went upstairs to help the Rosalia's vocalist to nail a frame in her room. _If something heppen to her, Imai-san will scold me for not having helped for sure_.

* * *

"That really hurt, but I'm not gonna miss this time." Yukina accidentally hitted her finger when she missed the nail before, but she's not the type of person who make the same mistake twice. Charging her hammer, Yukina was ready to use all her strength to give a definitive blow in the nail. "Its everything or nothing!- Eh?" Yukina suddenly felt her arm movements being restricted.

"Thank God... Pew... One more second and It would have ended very bad." Misaki was the one who stopped Yukina to give that blow, holding her hand with the crook handle of her cane. "The idiot suppressor function demonstrating Its effectiveness to the fullest."

"Why did you stopped me, Okusawa-san? I was about to to smash this nail into the wall"

"And your finger bones too. I really don't want to discuss this matter right now, so just give me your hammer already. It's too dangerous for you." Misaki held out her hand towards Yukina, asking for the potentially dangerous tool in the vocalist hands.

Yukina was reluctant to give her hammer to Misaki, she was confident that she could do It by herself and letting a guest do It for her would be bad manners. Yukina only changed idea when she remembered that Lisa once said to her to never use working tools and only touch them If there is a adult nearby, so had no choice but to give It to Misaki.

"I will end this in one minute." With the possession of the hammer, Misaki, unlike Yukina, nailed It to the wall without any difficulty and in a matter of secondsplaced the frame on It. "What did you think?"

"It's perfect."

"Yeah... Not bad I guess."

After admire the picture the she just placed, Misaki decided to look at Yukina for a while. She was with her usual expressionless face, but to Misaki, who know the difference of each Kokoro's expressions, which the majorty of them just change a few degrees on her smile, she was looking like a pure child staring a really sweet cake after a day playing around. "I think I'm starting to get why Imai-san love you."

"What you mean?" Without even looking away from the picture, Yukina asked Misaki about what she just said. That's not something someone say out of the blue.

"Nothing special..." Misaki is a good friend of Lisa and like everyone who meet with her once, she knows how friendly and caring she is. Entretanto, after passing more time with her, Misaki started to realize that Lisa is much more complex than just a maternal figure for pretty much everyone of her friends. Like ogres, onions and cakes, she has many layers that she usually don't show to other people. Misaki thinks that the only ones who know the most of these layers are the Rosalia's members and the one who know each one of them is the girl beside her.

Misaki already heard many stories about Yukina from Lisa. They were very diverse, varying from times she got stuck in a hole after chasing a cat to times she prioritize a friend over the show, but thanks to her efforts the show was still a success. Misaki don't know If It's because they were childhood friends, but she finds amazing how the personality of those two complement each other, making them one of the most funny and lovable couple she knows. _Love is a beautiful thing, isn't It?..._ _No..._

* * *

"Okusawa-san, are you ready for your second trial? Don't be confident just because you passed through the first one, there is still one more after that." Back to Yukina's dining table, She continued with Misaki's trials that were put on hold for greater reasons.

"That trial woudn't be If I'm able to clean this mess, would be?" Misaki joked a little. Yukina don't seems the type of person who like to clean her own room, much more cleaning the whole house, but of course she woudn't ask to a guest do that.

"Tsk."

_Wait! She really was going to do that!?_

"Are you ready for your second and last trial?" Yukina unsuccessfully tried to looks like she was correcting herself, but she only end up getting more suspicious. But, even If she had made It correctly, Misaki had already realized It anyway. "But first& I need to ask you something."

"What do you want to know?" Misaki was really curious about what she gonna ask. Using the first and second trials as a basis, the third one must also be a unusual one.

"Why your coat pocket sometimes moves by Itself?" Since Misaki arrived at her house, Yukina caught herself looking at one of her pockets that moves even though she's not doing any movement. She was going to ask the third trial question at first, but she changed It after remember about the movable pocket in the last second.

"So you finally asked It. I was trying to keep It a secret, but It's no use to hide It from you anymore." Before Misaki left Hazawa Coffee, Sayo adviced her to not show Pierre to the person she was sending me. Misaki didn't understood exactly why she couldn't do that by that time, It probably is something related to Yukina be a cat lover and Pierre is a rat, but she's not sure. In the end, Yukina realized that there's something in Misaki pocket, so she have no other choice but to show It.

"Actually, the one inside my pocket is this little fella here. His name is Pierre and he is a pygmy cat." That's Misaki plan B. She wasn't confident that she could hide Pierre forever, so she decided to come up with a backup plan. Her plan basically consists of shamelessly lying to Yukina with a serious face to make It sonds like a joke, creating a lighter mood. That way, she can accept Pierre's presence more easily.

"That's amazing! I never saw a pygmy cat before." Yukina was amazed by the sight of a cat she never saw before. She believed she knew every cat breed, but the cat world is way wider than she anticipated.

 _She really believed It!?!?_ Misaki never expected to Yukina believe in her lie. Ironic, her plan worked so well that end up suppressing Itself, leading It to failure. Now, Misaki have to deal with the change of plans, but It's nothing she can't handle.

"It's no surprise you never saw one before. It's a extremely rare species that is at risk of extinction. They used to live in some islands located in Indonesia, but probably there's not a single one left in the wild." Misaki is giving her best to come up with a story to back up her lie. She still needs to explain many things to make the story truly believable, so she need to give her best. "Because of It's small size, those cats were able evolve looking like rats, that way, they managed to hunt their preys sneaking inside the rodents holes without draw attention, The problem is, because of Its appearance, many people mixed those cats with rats, killing many of both species, but the cats do not reproduce as fast as the rats, so they coudn't handle being slayed in such big scale, being entirely wiped out."

"What a tragic fate. I can't even imagine how much the humanity is suffering for not be able to see such amazing cat. However, If they're extinct in their own habitat, how did you get one?"

"Being extinct in their own habitat don't mean be totally extinct. There's some of them who live in captivity for the breeding program. The Tsurumaki family is a sponsor of one of them, so Kokoro brought the entire band to visit It. Pierre was a sick pygmy cat by that time and didn't accept food from anyone, but he surprising became very found of me, so because I was the only one who he would let feed him, the staff asked me to take care of him." Misaki was out of breath, she never had to make such big and bizarre story just to cover a lie. Luckily, Kokoro is always a wild card in those times, because no one would doubt a almost unbelievable story like this one If she's involved.

"I see... That's explain why do you have this cat. You really is a luck person, Okusawa-san." Yukina could be looking calm, but a dark aura of envy could be seen coming out from her. "This was a off topic question, so are you ready to the real question?"

"I already said yes though."

"You're the one who write the HaroHapi songs, aren't you?" Yukina pointed her finger towards Misaki just like a ace attorney.

"Yes, It's me, but I just translate Kokoro's drawings and hums. I'm not a good composer or something like that." If someone asked Misaki who is the one behind the magic of her band songs, she would give the entire credit to Kokoro. Misaki is just a translator after all.

"It doesn't matter, I need your skills... You need your skills to pass through this trial.

"Then can you explain why **I** need my skills? I'm tired of misteries for today."

"Your second trial will be help me to write a new song."

"Are you saying that you couldn't do your work properly, so you decided to push It over me?" Misaki questioned Yukina's with veins showing up on her forehead. The sleepy Yukina is getting way too bold to Misaki's taste.

Feeling a overwhelming pressure coming out from the pissed off Misaki, Yukina decides to put an end in the whole trial thing to not let her guest even more angry. "Actually, I need your help to write this song. I couldn't do anything even after pass the entire night awake, but I think you are the best person I could ask to help me right now, so I would really appreciate If you decide to help."

Misaki calmed down after Yukina dropped her sage of the hut behavior to a normal one. Why she was acting like that in the first place? Misaki have no idea, but she could feel sincerity in her words. "I don't have any problem in helping you, but I need to know about the idea of this song first. I also can't promise that I will be really useful, so don't have high expectations."

"I was trying to write a song based on the deep meaning of the human expressions captured by art."

"That's sounds good to me."

"Exactly, that's why I tried to make some plaster sculptures with different meanings and expressions and use them to get inspiration for the song, but I couldn't recreate even a single one of the models." Yukina tried recreate them countless times through the night, but they always ended up like some kind of metamorphic invertebrate life form.

"That explain those buckets and tools, but how did you used boxes to make plaster sculptures?"

"I didn't. Those are my emergency boxes to use If a cat show up. I just needed to remove them to pick up the tools, but I ended up forgetting to put them back in their place."

"That's cr- Actually, that make a lot of sense coming out from you." At first glance It can looks weird, but have spare boxes to street cats is to cat lovers the same as having a bird feeder or bath to bird lovers.

Misaki then started to think about what Yukina just said to her. She never sculpted before, so she doubt she will be good at It, but she's weak against honest resquests like this one, so she will try harder to help Yukina. "I don't think I would be able to refuse help you, Minato-san. So, lend me those models you were talking about to see what I can do."

"Thank you very much, Okusawa-san. Together, we gonna write a great song." Happy to hear Misaki's response, Yukina picked her phone with the image of the models and lended It to the girl covered in bandages.

 _Impossible_. That was the only thing Misaki could think after seeing the models that Yukina picked to recreate. Each one of the sculptures she choose are at least on the level of a masterpiece of a renaissance artist. No wonder she could't recreate that, though Misaki doubts that she can sculpt even a simple one. "It's impossible to us recreate those models, Mina- Minato-san!?"

When Misaki took her eyes of the phone, she didn't expected to see Yukina removing her underwear in front of her without a shame. "W-Why are you naked!?

"Didn't you say that you would help me to write this song?"

"Y-Yes. But that not explain why you returned to your natural state." Misaki is not liking this development. Last time someone got naked in front her, the situation ended badly for her. She only hope that Yukina do not have bad intentions.

"I realized that we would waste too much time If we tried to recreate those sculptures, so If I use myself as a model, we gonna save a lot of time. I'm just naked because the sculptures are also from naked people, impersonate them while clothed would be wrong." Yukina answered Misaki with the confidence that a naked person shoudn't have.

Misaki was speechless. Yukina managed to overcome a problem with such unique way that can't even be said It's bad idea. Misaki could only look to Yukina determined eyes (because she couldn't look to any other place without get embarrassed) while she surrendered to the vocalist's will. "I don't think I can fight against that logic."

* * *

With a notebook and a pen in hands, Misaki is currently writing a song by Yukina request, who is currently posing naked as sculpture to give inspiration for the song. If someone entered the room right now, the first thing they would think is happening is that Yukina is posing naked for a painting. honestly, Misaki would prefer If that was the case.

They are already in the third pose. Now, Yukina is lying on the table with some fruits around her and a white towel covering just few parts waist down, just like a Greek figure. Needing to look several times to her body to read every feeling she could express, Misaki somehow got used to the naked Yukina, don't getting embarrassed anymore, but with a clear mind, It was inevitable that some questions start to come up.

"Minato-san, why did you decided to write this song using self made scultures and now you as reference? It wouldn't be easier to get inpiration directly form the models you searched or just go to museum?"

"I would say that I decided to do that thanks to Lisa advice." Yukina answered Misaki while picking a grape form her scenario to eat, but she end up putting her tongue off because of the unpleasant taste of the fruit. "Sour."

"Imai-san? That was unexpected." Misaki know Lisa well enough to say that she also would think that Yukina's idea was unreasonable from the start, but how she was the one to give that idea to her girlfriend? Misaki is eager to know.

"At first I was really indecisive about what the song would be about, so I decided to go talk with Lisa about It. Luckily, she was on her window at that time, so from my own window I started to explain everything to her, asking for some advices. Then, she said that there's few things more impressive than a Greek sculpture because all the meanings they express by their expressions and the main reason for this is because they were handmade and the emotions of the one who made It was transferred to the project. That's why I decided to make my own sculpture to take inspiration from It, so waited until the weekend to do It." Yukina is still impressed about how Lisa always manage to help her, regardless of the situation, in a wide variety of ways.

"Minato-san, was Imai-san looking at you when she gave you that advice?" Misaki asked, hoping the answer to not be the one she's expecting to be.

"Amazing, you managed to notice that by just listening my story, even though I didn't even mentioned It. You really are a sharp person." Yukina was amazed by Misaki cunning. She expected her to be the best person for the job, but she still may have underestimated her. "Indeed. Lisa didn't look at me that time, but I'm sure that It was a way to tell she trust me and that I didn't need her help to do It. That's why I was sure in doing It by myself."

"Yeah... What an act of trust... She really trust you a lot..." Misaki would be less nervous If she didn't know that what Yukina just said is a total misunderstanding. Actually, the one who Lisa was talking with is Misaki herself. It happened because last tuesday one of her professors asked for a surprise essay about the ancient Greece, even though It's not something ralated to the subject. Misaki already has many other thing to solve this week and this essay would only make her life even more difficult, so she decided to ask some friends If they knew something about the ancient Greece. The only one who knew at least a bit about It was Lisa, but her knowledge was limited to a scene from Pawn Stars where they explain about Greek sculptures after someone tried to sell a severed head from one of this sculptures that this person grandfather bought a long time ago, so in the end she basically could only give moral suport to Misaki. And the handmade part wasn't about the sculptures, actually she was trying to convice Misaki to not copy a essay from the internet. _I think some misunderstanding shouldn't be cleared_.

After some revelations, the two of them keep with their writing process. Yukina changed to another pose while Misaki is trying to transfer the emotions coming out the pose to lyrics, but Misaki is starting to have some trouble to do It.

"Something wrong?" Yukina couldn't help but ask Misaki why she was wearing such troubled expression.

"I don't know how to put this last pose into words at all. I must have reached my limit after all."

"You don't need to worry about It. If you're able to translate Tsurumaki-san's drawings and hums with such mastery, doing It with this pose is just a matter of time."

"Translate those things is nothing special, everyone can do that If they try. The song is already there, you just need to put It on the paper. I don't think I will be able to do the same thing with all those poses."

"Sometimes you really manage to be more self-deprecating than Sayo." Yukina is already used to the times Sayo is being self-deprecating or too harsh with herself, but she never expected to meet someone who could surpass her friend in this aspect, not like this is a good thing. "Okusawa-san, I already saw some of Tsurumaki-san's drawings and I really doubt someone can look at them and see a song, because there's no song inside of It. Of course, I can't deny the fact those papers are really charged with emotions, but the one who convert those emotions into a song is you. Without you even realizing It, you have been using the song which resides in your heart to compose this entire entire time, so doing the same thing with my poses won't be near as hard."

Misaki knows very well that she is too harsh with herself, but maybe It is an irreparable trait of her personality, so she always act like that without even realizing. She of course get happy when her friends praise her for her efforts even though she believe It's not a big deal, but hearing It from Yukina, who really understand about music and is not even a too close friend of her, make Misaki feel light and a bit more determined.

After changing her perspective, Misaki started to see this situation more as a way to challenge herself than a just a weird situation from a weird day that she without even realizing got involved into. It made her more motivated to keep successfully transforming Yukina's poses into a song. Although she knows very well that this is just a delusion for her to motivate herself, because she knows that in reality there's no way to see this situation other than a really weird one.

Now, with the two of them motivated, they managed to transcribe a lot of poses nonstop, until they finally reached the last one.

"Finally the last one. I'm curious to know how this pose gonna be. It will be another full nude one, a historical one or a abstract one? I really liked the upside down one though." Relieved by reaching the last one, Misaki was casually asking Yukina about her last pose idea. She need at least find some interest in this situation.

"None of them. This time I will wear a piece o clothe." Yukina answers managed to even surprise Misaki.

"Why I'm so suprised hearing that? Shouldn't It be something any normal person should say?" Misaki's starting to think she got dangerously used to the naked Yukina.

"I will dress a one piece dress to do this. It will be the most significant pose so far and the key point to the song, so I can't let myself do It poorly.

"That sounds important. What kind of pose will be that one?"

"I will pose as someone who got stabbed in the heart. A scene which envolve a huge mix of human emotions by representing the end of the life and the feelings which leak out the body like blood. I think you should understand those emotions very wel-." Seeing how Misaki expression closed after hearing the last statement, Yukina realized that she shouldn't have mentioned It. "I'm sorry, you probably don't want other people to talk about It."

Realizing she accidentally worried Yukina by involuntarily closing her face for just hearing something that is related to _that day_. "It's not like I'm mad with you for mentioning that. I just don't like to remember that memory for personal reasons, so don't worry that much. Changing the subject, how you gonna imitate a stabbed person?"

"I'm glad you asked." Yukina then turn towards a box behind her and started to search for something inside of It. "I will use this retractable knife that I borrowed from Ako and this one piece white dress, but I still need to pick up the ketchup for the blood."

"Ketchup? This won't stain the dress? If you want a real blood stained clothe, I can lend you mine."

"I can't accept your offer, Okusawa-san. I need to do this by myself If I want to reach my goal. I can't face Mitake-san without a fully hearted song ." Thinking in her goal made Yukina even more fired up to make this pose the best one.

"Mitaki-san?" Misaki got surprised by hear the name of her morning aggressor that Yukina never have mentioned since she arrived here.

"Yes, she seems down lately. I couldn't feel her usual fire that she usually have within her soul, so I decided to write this song to challenge her and try cheer up her a little."

"You really are a dedicated rival." _So, she wasn't acting like her usual self for a while. It explains why she hitted me this morning... Actually, It didn't, but at least explain why she was acting so strange_.

"That's how rivals works. Your feelings reach them by your effort, that's why I will do this pose alone... But, maybe I will need your help with the ketchup." Contradicting herself, Yukina asked for Misaki's help after realizing It would be hard to properly use the ketchup by her own.

"No problem. I was already expecting you ask that."

Yukina than wore the dress and lay over the table, holding the retractable knife against her chest in a way that she looked like a person who tried to remove the knife from the heart but died in the process.Right after that, Misaki picked the ketchup in the refrigerator and carefully poured It over Yukina, using her fingers to spread the ketchup to make It look even more like streaming blood. That way, they created a scene worthy of a murder.

"It surprisingly got pretty good. I just need to wash my hands to start writing again." Misaki then went to the kitchen to use the sink. When she was about to turn on the tap, Misaki gave another look into her hands. The ketchup in her fingers end up oozing to her palm, looking like a bloody hand. "Why It seems so familiar?"

Suddenly, Misaki started to feel a huge headache together with a image that popped out in her mind. The sight showed her hands exactly as they are now, but something tell her that It isn't ketchup. Worst of all is that her hands are one of the few parts of her body that don't have even a scratch. If you don't count the damage that Yukina's door caused, of course.

"Okusawa-san, I won't judge you If you want to lick the ketchup in your hands. Sometimes you have to surrender to your soul desires." Actually, Yukina just want to see Misaki, who (supposedly) have a cat soul and eyes, licking her hands just like a cat would.

"What? No, I won't lick It. I just was... I will wash It right now." Even though she was told something really strange, Misaki was actually was grateful that Yukina did that. She didn't even realized she was staring her hands this entire time, so she's glad that she was taken out of that trance by what Yukina told her. And about that sight, she will think about It later.

Misaki then finally washed her hands and came back to translate Yukina's pose on the paper. Surprisingly, everthing happened how Yukina predicted. Misaki really understand this pose better than the other ones for having some 'familiality' with It, so she managed to do her job quickly and skillfully

"It's finally over!" Misaki loung in the chair for after putting so much effort in that song. Actually, she didn't finish It, but Yukina told her that she would deal with the final parts herself. "Minato-san, you can get up now."

"I'm a bit sleepy and this table is kinda comfortable, so I think I will rest her a litte bit. You can wait for me in my room, I will be there in five minutes." The lack of sleep is finally winning over Yukina, but she will not give up until she finish her deal with Misaki.

"Is that really okay? It's not bad to have murder scene in your living room."

"It's fine, no one will arrive until afternoom."

"If you say so..." Misaki then left Yukina resting there and went upstairs.

In the quiet living room of Yukina's house, a sound of a door being opened could be heard. "Yukina! I arrived early today and I bought cat shaped cupcakes for you!"

Yukina's father just entered the house, he is already used to see the house messy like that so he didn't even get surprised, but he's not understanding why her daughter was over the table and had no response after hearing the word cat. "Yukina? Why are you lying over the table?" Receiving no response, he got closer from her and he finally saw the knife on her chest. "Y-Yukinaaaa!!!"

* * *

Back to Yukina's room, Misaki was sitting on the bed, waiting for the house host, that arrived before five minutes have passed. They both knew why she's here before the time, so they decided to not waste time talking about It.

"I think It's finally time for me to help you, Okusawa-san."

"I'm relieved to hear that, but I still don't know how you gonna do It." Misaki's still confused about how her past whereabouts will be revealed using only cat fur. If Yukina say that she can read other people soul by just drawing, maybe she will use some orthodox method of clairvoyance do see where Misaki was last night.

"It's really simple. Look this!" Yukina then opened her wardrobe to answer Misaki question, but...

"Clothes? I'm really confused now."

"Clothes?" Finding Misaki's reaction a little strange, Yukina turned back just to see a normal wardrobe. "I see... I forgot about that. Give me a few seconds."

Misaki saw Yukina opening her desk drawer, searching for something that must be related to the wardrobe. The bed she's sitting on is really comfortable, It would be perfect to relax her tired body while the vocalist is busy, but she can't do that. Since Misaki arrived the room, she had been feeling a uneasy sensation that prevent her to relax. She doesn't know from where this is coming and Yukina doesn't seem to be feeling it, so she will save It to herself.

"Found It!" After searching in the drawer for some time, Yukina finally found a key, probably what she was after. Then she came back to the wardrobe and inserted the key into a hidden locker inside It. "Now, that's how I will help you."

Yukina closed the wardrobe doors and reopened shortly thereafter, trying to correctly recreate the failed scene from before. When It was opened again, instead of only clothes, this time there was also a secret passage that leads to a side room off her bedroom.

"Wow! You have a secret room in your bedroom..." _Never something good to have_.

"What are you seeking is here."

"If you say so." Seeing that there was no other way, Misaki carefully followed Yukina to the hidden room, but no precaution in the world would prepare her for what was to come. When they reached the other side of the passage, Misaki eyes widened. The room was filled with countless plastic sample bags with fur inside of them. _I think the chances of me being in a dream due to an alcoholic coma are not as small as I imagined_.

"This is my cat fur collection of every cat I ever saw. I have the information about where they live, how they behave, what they eat and many other things." Yukina started to explain how she got each of them and how It helped her to always walk by the routes with more cats.

"Can I see the fur you have?" Yukina asked for the fur that the letter talked about, which Misaki willingly lended. With the material in hands, Yukina started to analyze It, giving a closer look to see the details of the cat pattern, smelling It to see If the smell It's a familiar one and testing the taste to see if she would recognize It.

"Eh..." Misaki don't know how to react to Yukina's analysis.

"What's the matter, Okusawa-san?"

"Nothing..."

After analyze every single part of the fur, Yukina headed to the only table in the room than have a encyclopedia above It. That encyclopedia contains the files of all the cats that have fur here, so she opened It, searching for a cat que match the description of the fur Misaki had.

"I found It. That fur belongs to a cat that live not far away from here. It's is a bit chubby and very active, usually walking around the city by Itself, sometimes even catching a bus, but in the winter It stay in specific place, so you can easily find It.

Misaki was surprised for how effective this method was and how she knew this much about just one cat, but she also really relieved by finally finding another clue in order to solve this mystery. "In the end, you really had a way to help me, a weird way, but effective one. The only thing I can do is thank you."

"You don't need to tank me, you're the one who helped me. I'm just returning a favor. By the way, can I have some of you pygmy cat fur? It will make a fine addition to my collection." Yukina eyes were shining by the thought of having a rare fur in her possession.

"Okay? If Pierre want to lend you so." Misaki opened the pocket that Pierre was inside and asked his opinion. "What do you think, Pierre. Will you lend your fur to General Minato?"

Pierre put his head out Misaki's pocket and saw Yukina looking at him with dangerous eyes that scared him to the soul, letting no other option than a strategic retreat. He jumped out the pocket and started ro run out the room, leaving the two girls alone.

"Well, that's was expected." Misaki said while looking to sad faced Yukina.

* * *

"Goodbye, Minato-san. Thanks for everything." Knowing the address that she will go, Misaki was in the front door saying goodbye to Yukina, ready to leave.

"Wish you luck, Okusawa-san. That you don't have any trouble in your journey.

"I don't wish for the impossible." Even on an unpredictable day like today, Misaki is sure that there are a lot of trouble wating for her. She left Yukina's house to her new destination, hoping that at least the rest of the day be least problematic as possible.

Yukina keep looking at Misaki until she was out of sight. She's don't know what's expecting the DJ, but If she get in trouble, Yukina won't hesitate to lend a hand to the one who helped her this morning. She is prepared to give her all in order to hel- "Yawnn~ I think I will sleep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no better way to celebrate the end of the early morning arc than having more than 25 kudos! Well, Its the end of the first arc from two, so It is basically half of the story. I think I put enough information in those chapters to understand what the mystery is about, but you need to be careful to not fall in my baits, so good luck.
> 
> Thanks everyone who is following this fic, gave your kudo and have a bookmark here.


	8. Duel of Fates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to carried away with this chapter... Again.

### Duel of Fates

"Looks like I finally arrived."

Misaki looked at her phone and checked If this was the correct address, she don't want to commit the same mistake from last time. She arrived there hoping to find some clue about what happened in her forgotten memories from the last night, but she really don't know how to do It. The only clue she have is the fact she meet a cat yesterday that Yukina said It lived by here.

Usually It would be a complicated situation, but comparing It with what she had passed through this morning, It's quite a easy task. But, before she starts her search, Misaki started to look into her memories after someone she knows that have a cat, because If It follow the pattern, the cat will probably have a collar and she will need to retrieve the cat to It's owner, leading to a weird and possible tiresome situation. "It will probably happen like that... Though I just remembered that Minato-san said the cat was a street one, so... I should start to search for It already."

Misaki then started her search for the cat. She spent almost ten minutes looking in the places that cats like to be in cold days around the region, but there was no sight of It. "This cat really know how to hide, isn't It? Maybe If I use Pierre as a bait- Ouch! It was only a joke, you didn't need to bite me."

"Squeak!"

"What you mean with you bit weaker than my girlfriend? How did you know th- I-I mean, I don't have a girlfriend so quit with your jokes."

After the quarrel with Pierre, Misaki laid against a pole to rest a little while she thinks a way to find where the cat is, but when she was lost in her thoughts, Misaki started to feel something fluffy between her legs. She looked down and saw a chubby white cat. "So you were hiding here this entire time."

Misaki bent down and started to pet the cat. The feeling of It's fluffy furr in her hand is somewhat familiar. "I must have petted you last night, but I can't really remember It." Misaki was trying her best to find the memory of her petting the cat, but nothing came in mind. She kept trying until she realized something. "I remember this pole."

Suddenly, Misaki started to feel another headache-

* * *

"This cat is so fluffy! You should try to pet It too." Misaki just find a chubby cat besides a pole and she couldn't resist the urgency of petting It.

"Okusawa-san! You can't stop walking to pet a cat. It's not time for such thing." Arisa scolded Misaki. She knew It would be a bad idea to let Misaki walking behind her. Arisa know very well how her drunk friend is able to get involved in the most diverse problems when she's not under watch.

"Don't be angry, Arisa~. I'm just petting a cat, what is so bad about It?"

"The problem is not you pet the cat, but is you forget about your 'passenger' to do It." Arisa was pointing toward Misaki's back, showing what she seems to have forgotten.

Misaki looked to her back and saw a asleep white-haired girl that is being piggybacked by her. "Oh! I forgot about her... How I didn't realize It even though I keep carrying her?" The one in Misaki's back is Eve. Since she's not used to drink too much, at the end of the drinking night, she wasn't even in a condition to stand by her own, so Misaki offered to carry her until they arrive at her home.

"How can you even forget that you're carrying someone in your back?" Arisa asked unbelieving. She thought Misaki was just neglecting Eve, not that she literally forgot about her.

"In my defense, I'm used to wear a pink bear costume for hours, so It's natural to forgot about the weight of just one person."

"That's definitely not natural."

"I think It's completely natural. It's like when I sometimes forget that I bought more breads than usual, making my lunch get even better by the hapiness of having more bread to eat than I expected." Moca who was besides Arisa deciced to enter the discussion giving her opinion.

"Aoba-san, your case and Okusawa-san case are completely different, so please don't try to make her think she's right. Forget about a object and a person are two completely different things." Arisa was already having trouble to deal with Misaki alone, so she don't want Moca to join the discussion just to make the situation even more complicated.

"So you are basically saying that It would never happen to you?" Misaki asked.

"I woudn't put like that, but I think It wouldn't happen to me."

"So how can you explain the day when you invited me to your home to watch a movie but you were so focused in your bonsai that you didn't even noticed that I arrived. I took thirty minutes to finally make you notice me, and you only realized I was there because you thought my waving hand was just a big branch of a bonsai, so you tried to prune It. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened If didn't found strange that bonsai are not supposed to bleed." Misaki always save this event as a wild card against Arisa when she needed to.

Arisa face suddenly got red by remembering It, It was really embarrassing for her. "I already said that I'm sorry for what happened. And don't talk like It was the worst thing a friend already did to y-" Realizing what she was about to say, Arisa restrained herself.

"That doesn't change the fact you did something similar!"

"Misaki-chin is right, you can't run away from what is natural, Arisa."

"Okay, okay, I got It. It's just natural to those things to happen, so can we start to walk again?" Aready tired to keep this discussion, Arisa just gave up and tried to move again.

"Okay, It's getting too cold to stay still like that for too long."The cold was already starting to bother Misaki, so she immediately accepted Arisa's suggestion like they weren't arguing just a few seconds ago.

The group then started to move again, but this time with Misaki in the lead to Arisa be able to keep her on watch. She really don't want another unplanned stop.

"Misaki-san, why I am in your back?"

While walking, Misaki started to hear a voice coming from her back. It seems that Eve just woke up and forgot why she being carried. "Well, you couldn't walk properly so I was carrying you, but you fell asleep in the way. Don't worry about walk by your own, we're not far from your house and I don't mind carry you."

"Thanks, Misaki-san." Eve felt like she had her mind readed. Misaki predicted everything she would say and answered It beforehand.

Misaki keep silently walking towards Eve's house until she felt once again some movements on her back. "Wakamiya-san, why are getting so agitated?"

"Misaki-san, look!" Eve was pointing out to Misaki right side, trying to show her what she saw.

"What do you want me to see?" Misaki turned her head towards the direction Eve was indicating and saw a bus stop. She gave another look but It really looks like the everday bus stop. "hmm... Wakamiya-san, It is just a normal bus stop, what I have to see there?"

"It isn't just a usual bus stop. Please get closer."

"Alright." Curious about what is so special about this specific stop, Misaki headed to there while ignoring Arisa's questions about why she's going to another way.

"Now I get why this one is so special." When Misaki arrived there, she could saw that there was a huge poster of the Pastel Palettes in the stop. She's not sure what the poster is announcing for being too drunk to read something without It get blurry.

"That's not a sight you see everyday." Remarked Moca, who was right behind them.

"What you mean by that? We see posters like this one everytime they have a event." Replied Arisa, that had no other choice but to follow the caravan.

"It's not the same thing, Arisa. Seeing this poster by chance while walking back home at this time of the night after drink a lot of beer give a completely different vibe, can't you feel It?"

"The only thing I'm feeling is my fingers freezing. Really, why today is so cold?"

"It poster can look just one more of the many you have seen, but every poster of this event is special. We need to distribute those posters around the city as soon as possible, but the agency was understaffed that day, so we volunteer ourselves to do It. We were the ones who placed them and the effort we put into each of them is what make them special. By the way, that one was placed by Aya-san." Eve was proud about all the effort they had on those posters, so she will do her best to make this event a great one.

"I already knew It. That poster is unmistakable a Maruyama-san doing." Misaki commented.

"I didn't know you could feel the feelings that someone put into something just by looking at It, is It a side effect of decipher Kokoro-chan's drawings?" Moca was surprised about how perceptive Misaki was.

"I don't feel nothing like that. Look, the poster is crooked."

"...Misaki-chin is dangerously honest while drunk, isn't she?"

"You only realized It now?" Arisa was surprised that Moca didn't realized that after seeing her in the bar.

* * *

Remembering what happened after she petted the cat last night, Misaki decided to follow the same path she did a few hours ago. Looks like Eve is in her home, so Misaki can visit her and ask a few questions.

She leaved the cat and went towards Eve's house. Misaki keep walking for a few minutes until she saw the same bus stop that they went last night. She remembered that she couldn't read the content of the poster by that time, so she's a bit curious to see what their event is about.

Misaki then went to the bus stop to saw the poster more carefully this time. "Bingo!" Misaki felt like she just hit the jackpot. The poster was announcing an event that would happen today in a park not far from where Misaki is now. That event will be a typical handshaking one, but this time only three PasuPare members will participate, Aya, Eve and Maya.

There's still an hour and a half to go before the event starts, but the idols probably must arrive earlier. That means, If Misaki want to meet Eve, she need to go to this event and not to her house. Thankfully, she decided to check the poster.

"In the end I will really meet Maruyama-san, aren't I? I don't know If I get happy for be able to fulfill Hina-san request or get sad for my journey has extended so much that I will meet her." While dealing with this conflict, Misaki heads to the park where the event will take place.

* * *

Misaki arrived the park earlier than she expected thanks to the bus she take, If It hadn't arrived at the time she was leaving, Misaki probably would still walking towards here at this moment.

She can already see the place where the event was arranged from where the bus left her, so she went there. Getting closer to the event, Misaki could see many people in a line, waiting for the beginning of the event despite today being a snowy day, but It's not a surprise taking into account how dedicated the the idol fans are.

Misaki knows that If she want to meet her friends, she must avoid the main entrance. They usually stay in a place just for the staff, but they always enter by the back entrance, so there's a chance for them to be there, but even If they're not, Misaki just need to send a text to them left for a few minutes.

Misaki then began to surround the event. She didn't see anyone trying to do the same thing as her, but she knew that wouldn't be no one doing It. For a real idol fan, it is much more worthwhile to get a good position in the line than to try to see their favorite idol outside the event, It's like a contract that every fan must do, that consists in just meet the idol when they can meet them.

She know a lot about It because there was one time that her band decided to go to a important Pastel Palette event, so they ended up having to pass for a idol fan harsh training like the best way to wave a glow stick or studying the manual of the idol fan, that surprisingly has three hundred pages. She's not gonna lie, It was a fun experience. 

Misaki clearly remembers how each memberwore a full-fladged PasuPare merchandise uniform of one member of the idol band after the training, finally ready to go to the event. If she was asked to describe how was the event, she doesn't know if she could do It. Many things happened in that event, some of them were good others miraculously did not end up with someone hurt, and her band may or may not be responsible for half of them. But she can say that the moment when Kaoru meet Chisato while wearing a hat, a shirt and a jacket with the blonde's face into them and also being covered by the idol's merchandise like plushies, key chains, posters and lapel pins from head to toe, was priceless.

Luckily to Misaki, she's here as a friend and not as a fan, so she's not violating any rules of the fans code by meeting her friends.

Finally arriving at the back of the event, Misaki looked around and didn't see anyone around, only a few boxes, some materials that are used to build the stands and a way that must lead to the back entrance. "There's still some time until the event start, so there shouldn't be no problem If they come here for a moment."

When Misaki was about to pick her phone, she heard something quickly approaching from behind her. She turned back in response and could see that the thing that was approaching her is actually a running Aya.

"Misaki-chan, run!"

"What?" Misaki saw Aya passing by her shouting for her to run without any explanation, leaving her without understanding anything. When Misaki was about to call Aya for some explanations before she could get too far away, she once again heard something approaching from behind, but It was Maya this time.

"Okusawa-san, we need to get out of here!"

Misaki is not like those horror movies protagonist that wait the monster reach them. After being warned two time to flee out there as fast as she can, she know that wouldn't wise to stay there to see what will happen. But, when Misaki was about leave, she heard for the third time something behind her, but unlike the first ones, It wasn't approaching quickly.

Misaki was sweating cold, probably the thing that her friends are running aways from is behind her. She could try to escape, but the desire to see what is behind her is taking over her, Misaki then deciced to turn her head to see what scared so much the other two. It was a really tense situation, but Misaki felt that all this tension was unnecessary as soon as her eyes saw what was behind her, because the 'scary' thing was only Eve that was walking normally.

Misaki already understood the situation. What happened was probably the typical misunderstanding situation and Eve was the one who stayed long enough to see the truth, just like you think there's a ghost in house but in the end is just a racoon stealthily stealing your food.

"Good morning, Wakamiya-san. Do you have some spare time? I want to discuss some things with you."

"..."

Something was odd, Eve isn't a silent person and she would never be quiet after someone greet her. Misaki decided to ask If she's alright, but when Eve got closer, Misaki notices she was hididng something behind her. Misaki had a bad feeling about this, but before she could even think what could her friend be hiding, in the blink of an eye, Eve took a katana from behind her and rushed to attack Misaki with a vertical slash.

At this moment Misaki felt thankful about always having to save her band skin from the situations they get themselves into, because thanks to It her reflexes improved a lot and those reflexes were the only reason that Misaki was able to quickly use her cane to block Eve attack, otherwise, she woudn't have survived to tell the story.

Their faces were close to each other while they were in this strength dispute, but seeing that she couldn't win over Misaki defense, Eve retreated, opening some space between them.

"Misaki-san, you passed the test. I consider you worthy to face me to death, so be ready to kill or be killed." Eve pointed her katana towards Misaki and declared the beginning of their mortal battle.

"..." Misaki didn't ask for any explanation, she already knew what is happening anyway. When their faces were close, she could smell a unmistakable smell in Eve's breath, alcohol.

As a unofficial alcohol expert, Misaki can tell that Eve's behavior is caused by the after effects of the alcohol she drank yesterday. By her own experience, Misaki know how troublesome this situation is to resolve, because the faster way to bring her back to sanity is playing her game.

Misaki started think she should have bought the sword cane If she knew that she would be involved in a sword fight, but when she looked at her mahogany cane, surprisingly there wasn't any damage even after receiving a blow from a katana. 

Eve then tighten her grip on her katana and rushed towards Misaki, giving a lateral blow that was once again blocked by Misaki's unrealistic sturdy wooden cane, but she didn't retreat like last time, instead, she keep dealing consecutive attacks, tying to open a gap in Misaki's guard.

"Wakamiya-san, you don't need to fight so serious, remember the one who carried you in the back until your hom- Tsk!" Misaki tried at least apeal for Eve's feelings but she was attacked in the middle of her talk. Eve was too focused in tear her head off the body to care about what she was saying.

Blocking attack after attack, Misaki realized she need to fight back. It's not like she wants to hurt her friend, but If she keep only defending she will quickly go tired. Her body is far away from It's prime, so in a endurance battle she will probably be the first one to fall.

Misaki then started her counter attack, keeping her defensive position but applying little by little of her strength each time their weapons clashed. Thanks to Misaki physical superiority, she was able to put some pressure against Eve, making her change her aggressive attacks to safer ones.

Now, the two of them are fighting equal to equal with none of them being able to hit the other one. The situation only changed when Misaki's defense was open and Eve gave a vertical attack. Knowing she woudn't be able to defend that, Misaki did her best to move her legs in order to dodge the attack, only escaping by a few centimeters. It was a dangerous situation, but Misaki did not waste the opportunity to attack, since Eve's guard was open. She grabbed her cane by the handle and directed a pierce attack against Eve.

The Finnish girl saw through It and managed to jump back just in time to evade the damage. They once again open some distance between them, but this time they are way more cautious, because they knew that defeat their opponent would not be a easy task.

Misaki was staring Eve, searching for any motion sign while she tried to come up with a plan to fight against her. She know very well that she's the one in disadvantage, after all, her body is beaten since she wake up and It start to stop working after just a few seconds running. She would be only superior over Eve If It was a hand-to-hand combat, but It wouldn't match with the samurai persona she have right now. That means, If Misaki want to Eve come back to her senses, she need beat her in a sword duel, which Eve is way better than Misaki.

The only way to Misaki have a chance to win this battle is if she explore the difference between her and Even, because unlike her that have a katana, she have a cane, so If Misaki use all It's skills proficiently there will be a chance to at best, not die trying to win the fight.

Misaki then decided to attack first this time, being only on the defensive can be fatal for her, so she want avoid to give Eve the freedom of just attack without think in her own defense, by being the one to lead the fight. This strategy will help her to restrict some of Eve's possible movements and to see through the ones she can do, that way she will be able to lead a opening in her guard.

Misaki started her advance swinging her cane directly against her friend's katana. It can look ineffective at first sight, but Misaki did It to exploit the katana weakness, It's defense. Katanas are focused in accurate and efficient attacks, so they don't have too weight, what leads the fact that the majority of the force that the sword exert come from It's wielder. This specificity makes the katana a complicated weapon to defend strong strikes.

A cane is lighter than a katana and is specializing in rapid attacks, so It wouldn't be able to give too many strong blows against Eve, but It end becoming a advantage to Misaki. Thanks to the fact that canes do not have edge, she can to handle It very skillfully, giving her more room to action than the samurai girl that she's fighting against.

They keep clashing against each other, patiently waiting the right time to attack. Eve knew that Misaki was reading her movements, trying to predict them, so she will use It as her weapon. Finding the perfect chance, Eve lifted her katana to give a downward strike against Misaki, but this time she was aiming way more left than the last time.

Misaki was already in a defense position, but as soon as she realized that blocking It would be a bad idea because how close the blade would be from her right hand, she quickly stopped blocking and decided to move away to avoid the blow. But It was exactly what Eve wanted.

The reason that Eve aimed for the left was to make Misaki decide to not block It, making her hold the cane with her left hand in the process. Eve smiled as she saw how her opponent fell completely into her bait, because she never planned to give a downward strike. With her katana still raised, she stopped holding It with both hands, keeping just the right one to quickly swing the sword toward Misaki's left, where she woudn't be able to correct her posture fast enough to block the attack. It would be really bad for Misaki, If It wasn't all according to her plan.

Misaki is purposefully holdind in the middle of her cane, to give her almost no chance to block something efficiently. She knew that Eve was trying to make her make that mistake at the moment she saw that the katana was leaning too much to her right side, so she decided to tag along to catch Eve off guard. Of course that anyone who would see the current progression of the battle would think that Misaki was about to be slashed in her belly, but they and mainly Eve forgot that she isn't holding a one-handed sword, but a cane.

Surprising Eve, Misaki pushed the ground with her feet and changed the direction of her movements, now rushing towards the katana wielder, instead of move away how her opponent predicted. Usually It would be a horrible idea because she wouldn't be able to switch her weapon to another hand fast enough to attack her or stop her attack, but there is when the cane enter in action.

Still in the process to get closer to Eve, Misaki threw her cane towards her right forearm, that intercepted the crook handle of the cane. Taking advantage of the available kinetic energy, Misaki started to spin the cane down her forearm until It reached her hand. At the moment she cold fell her hand firmly holding the handle, Misaki was already at the distance she wanted from Eve, so before she could be slashed by the katana, Misaki tightened her grip on her cane and with a lot of strength sank It's tip on the Idol foot.

Feeling the sudden pain in her foot, Eve instinctively looked down, exactly what Misaki wanted, because the moment she lowered her head, the bandaged girl lifted her cane e hitted directly on her chin, what made her lose the strength to keep swinging the katana. If It wasn't enough, at the instant Eve was completely defenseless, Misaki gave a powerful kick in her stomach, sending her far away.

Eve managed to put her feet on the ground to avoid falling, but It wasn't enough to stop her body to move, so she end up leaving a trail on the shallow snow on the ground. "Tsk, you're faster than I thought." Misaki sulked, seeing that Eve managed to move her left arm in the last second in order to protect herself, but It don't change the fact she have taken considerable damage.

Retaking her combat posture, Eve calmed her breath and tried to focus on the enemy in front of her, she can't let the pain disturb her duel. Eve then stared intensely Misaki and started to run back to the battle with her katana in hands ready to attack, this time she wound't fail.

Misaki felt the killing intent coming out from Eve as she was approaching, and something tell her that she's a lot more dangerous than before, so she need to be ready for the worst. Eve arrived attacking violently Misaki, pushing her against the wall. _Did she find out my weakness?_

After blocking so many consecutive attacks, Misaki could feel her body growing tired. If she wasn't so hurt, she would be able to extend this duel for much longer, but with the way her body is now, each new swing is slower than the previous one and It gets harder and harder to defend. It's just a matter of time to Eve pass through her defense.

Unlike Misaki that only get slower and slower, Eve increased her speed after each attack, so It wasn't hard to make her opponent block a attack in a unfavorable posture, which lead to a opening to exploit. Not wasting that chance, Eve used the recoil from her last strike as propulsion for a spin attack, aiming the DJ's head.

Feeling her survival instincts wenting into frenzy, Misaki jumped back as fast as possible to escape an imminent death, even though It saved her life, she didn't escaped unharmed. Just one millimeter of the kanata tip reached Misaki cheek so It woud be okay, but when she was already out of Eve's reach she felt something running down her cheek. There was a thin straight cut in her cheek that was spilling a few drops of blood.

Misaki took a handkerchief from her pocket and cleaned the blood. Judging this wound as irrelevant, she looked at Eve eyes unshaken by what just happened, at least that's what It looks like from the outside. Actually Misaki is really frightened right now, she knew that she was dealing with a katana, but she thought It would be only sharp enough to cut something when applying strength and that woudn't have problem to lightly touch the blade, just like the swords of videos where people try to cut a melon in half but end up breaking It in the process, of course would still be bad If she got hitted by that blade. But she never expected the katana to be so sharp that managed to cut her cheek with just one millimeter of It's blade and probably would have no problem cutting her in half.

_How Wakami-san have such a sharp katana? This is at least allowed? Worse than that is only the fact that this cane is taking hit after hit from It like It wasn't nothing. Really, a wooden cane shoudn't be so sturdy! Now I understand why that chuuny maid was so desperate when I bought It for less than half the price._

Misaki almost had no time to recover from the mental shock she just received before Eve started her advances again. At least the realization that her situation is way worse than she thought made the blood flow in her body faster, improving her deteriorated condition temporarily.

Eve tried to hit her by any direction possible but she avoided all, blocking some and dodging others. Misaki was doing relatively well, but after Eve just tried to attack her head, she quicly crouched and swinged the katana trying to cut her opponents legs. Misaki wasn't able to follow her, so had to jump to avoid lose a leg, but It wasn't a good idea at all. While Misaki was still mid-air, Eve hitted her with a jump kick, taking advantage of this moment that she couldn't dodge. Misaki was able to block the attack with her arms, but she still was sent flying away.

It's really hard to do something when all your limbs are away from any solid surface, so Misaki couldn't do nothing about being kicked. She end up falling on her back in the ground and even hitted her head, unfortunately, she fell in a part without any snow. "Arg! I'm sure that my back will cry a lot later on." When she finally opened her eyes after the fall, Misaki saw Eve jumping in her direction, holding her katana upside down with both hands like she's about to stick the sword somewhere, in that case, someone.

Misaki desperately rolled over to escape. The second after she left, Misaki saw a katana sticked exactly where her heart was. "I will never invite you to drink with us again, are you hearing, Wakamiya-san!" Seeing that the katana was really sunk in the ground and Eve would take some time to take It out, Misaki decided to turn her back to her friend to go after her cane that she dropped when she fell on the ground.

While trying to remove her stuck katana, Eve saw Misaki crawling on the ground to pick her cane. She was disarmed and defenseless showing her back to her opponent, making impossible to have better chance to attack than this one, so Eve pulled the katana with everything she had. When she finally get It out, Eve turned to Misaki, that was crouched after picking her cane, and lifted her weapon to give a definitive blow to end her enemy suffering, but she suddenly felt something hitting her stomach very hard.

Misaki knew that Eve would attack her as soon as she had her katana in hands, so when she picked her cane back, she stayed crouched waiting for Eve next movement with the tip of the cane hidden under her armpit. So, when Misaki saw signals that something was reflecting the sunlight, she quickly did a surprise attack with the hidden cane that caught Eve off guard.

Quickly getting up, Misaki saw Eve holding her stomach, maybe the the attack was more effective than she expected. Misaki could feel that is her last opportunity to fight back, her body is already reaching Its limits, so It's now or never. Then she hold tight her cane and swinged It at Eve face before she could defend herself.

It really looked painful, but she was just starting. Following her last attack, Misaki repeated the same movement but this time in the opposite direction, endind the sequence with a powerful hit on top of her head. Of course, Eve was really stunned after receiving such damage, If she stayed there It would be her end, so she tried to flee as a last resort, but she was stopped by Misaki, that hold her hand which was holding the Katana using the handle of her cane.

With Eve hand movements restricted, Misaki advanced without the risk of being being slashed, punching Eve chest with her free hand. While Eve was still feeling the impact from the hit she just received, Misaki released the idol's hand and stepped back to take impulse for her last attack. She hold her cane aproximadamente twelve centimeters away from It's tip and with all her remaining strength, stuck It in the already hurt Eve stomach.

Those two golpes consecutive were so critical that made Eve fly far away, they're also were powerful enough to make her kept rolling on the ground for a while after her fall. Of course, after receiving such destructive attacks Eve has no strength to get up for a while, but she still tried her best to ignore the pain and stand by her own.

Seeing Eve struggling to get up while holding the place she was hitted, Misaki was gasping after doing so much effort but she also had a complicated expression in her face. "Did I went too far? I left her in a pretty bad state, but she also wanted to slice me into pieces, so is It a fair trade? Oh crap, she's gonna puke... No, she hold It. She's better than I expected. I must have hitted her the right amount then."

While Misaki was sill talking with herself, Eve finally managed to get up using her katana as a cane. "I underestimated you, Okusawa Misaki. Even though you don't have a sword, you strength was beyond my expectations. Than means you're worthy of dying by my secret technique!"

"I have a bed feeling about this."

Eve then lifted her katana, she already did this before so Misaki isn't surprised, but a few seconds later the weather started to get rough, many dark clouds started to gather around where they are, causing a huge and dark storm that was lauching many lightnings close to them.

"Eh!?"

Many cracks started to open on the ground, they were expelling a lot of water vapor that was hot enought to cook a human to death in a few seconds. On the horizon It was possible to see that a huge mountain had emerged and It's peak have just exploded in a volcanic eruption, releasing a lot of magma and carbon dioxide.

"Eeeeeeh!?!"

The eruption was so strong that caused a huge tsunami that was heading towards them. As If a wave of destruction wasn't bad enough, the tsunami got in touch with the magma and the lightnings, creating a colossal electrified wave of water and magma.

"EEEEEEEEEEHH!?!?!"

The wave finally reached them, but when It was about to swallow Eve, the wave started to being absorbed by the katana, that like a vortex, started to take for Iself the chaos essence of the wave, creating a blade made of pure deadly energy. With her katana finally charged, Eve together with the wave started to run towards Misaki. "That's your end!!!"

"Guess I gonna die." Misaki just gave up, she coldn't do anything against the force of nature, that was undoubtedly her end. Well, at least that's what she thought.

When Misaki misaki was about to being slashed in two different parts, a huge light suddenly appeared and brighten the whole place, vanishing shortly thereafter. The light came from behind Misaki so It didn't affected her too much, Eve in another hand was looking directly to the light, causing her to stop her attack and cover her eyes in pain.

"Okusawa-san! Quick, come here. She won't stay like that for too long." The one that was calling Misaki was Maya, that was holding two sockets that she probably used to turn on the light from the spotlight besides her.

Misaki was not dumb to stay there waiting for her death, so she followed Maya that was waving at her.

* * *

Maya brought Misaki to the place where she and Aya were hiding from Eve. Actually, It just's a place behind a few boxes filled with some iron bars, not the best place to hide, but the best one they found.

"You two are alright?" Aya asked at the two that just arrived and received a nod from both of them. Relieved that no one was hurt, she quickly rushed to hug Misaki. "Misaki-chan, we're so sorry! We should have told you that we were running away from Eve-chan. When we realized you didn't have followed us, Maya-chan went to see If you were okay, and I'm really glad you are!"

"You don't need to apologise, I was the one who decided to not run immediately."

"We also we should have been clearer, but you were really amazing back then. Surviving against a bloodthirsty Eve is not something easy to do." Maya remember when the PasuPare decided to scare Eve in a sleepover and they almost got their heads chopped off because of that.

"I really thought I was going to die, so thanks for stopping that colossal wave."

"Wave?" Maya had no idea what Misaki is talking about. When she arrived there, she only saw Eve running towards Misaki, that was for some reason motionless.

"The important is that Eve-chan did not hurt you, Misaki-chan. We never expected to Eve-chan arrive at the event trying to kill her own friends, I really wanted to know why she's doing this."

"Well... I can be partially one of the reasons she's acting like that." Misaki declared scraching her cheek in embarrassment.

"What do you mean?" The two Idols asked at the same time.

Misaki then started to explain about how Eve drinked with her last night and the reason why she's acting like that is probably because the all alcohol she drank. "That's why the person in the fault is no one other than Arisa."

"I see... That's explain why Eve-chan was acting like that, she never had to much resistance to alcohol." Aya remembered the time when they went to drink together and Eve exaggerated on the sake, she couldn't walk in straight line even in the next day.

"I got that part, but I still don't understand why the only way to stop her is beating her up. I wouldn't like to hurt her." Maya said, feeling reluctant to the idea of hurting her friend.

"It's not like I want to hurt her _(though I already did)_ , but that's how the universe works. You need do defeat a drunkard in their own game, independent If just a card play or a deadly battle."

"You seem strangely used to this kind of situation, Okusawa-san..."

"But how we will defeat Eve-chan, she's too strong and she have a katana! I don't wanna be sliced in half." Aya finally said the biggest problem they have to deal with.

"Don't worry, Maruyama-san, I already have a plan."

* * *

Eve was wandering by the outsides of the event with her katana in hands searching for Misaki, she know that she woudn't be far because It would be hard to run injured like the way she was, so the idol is already on guard to prevent a surprise atta-.

"Yo, Wakamiya-san."

Eve turned to direction where the voice came and saw Misaki alongside with Maya, both of them looked ready to a battle, Misaki with her frighteningly tough cane and Maya with a iron bar.

"We're here to fill some sense in your drunk head, so be ready to loose." Misaki provoked Eve with a smug on her face.

" _Are you sure that's a good idea, Okusawa-san? It doesn't seems smart to provoke the only person with a real weapon in hands._ " Maya worriedly whispered.

" _It's only way to make her took the bait._ "

With a pride of a great warrior, Eve couldn't let someone who make fun of her abilities unpunished, so she rushed to the other two confident that she wouldn't loose to a already hurt person and one that doesn't even hold her weapon tightly.

"Here she comes." Misaki held her cane and blocked the first blow that Eve gave. Maya used this opportunity and tried to attack Eve, but she has retreated before It could be possible.

Usually Eve would be outnumbered, but It wasn't the current case. The three of them keep trading attacks, but no one managed to hit a blow yet, that's mainly because Misaki and Maya combat formation, that mainly consists in defense. Since Maya haven't the abilitie to keep up with the other two, she couldn't attack Eve like a true 1v2 battle without be easily overwhelmed by the Finnish, that's why she is under Misaki protection all the time, considerably reducing the times she has to defend herself and making her free to attack Eve anytime.

Having Maya on her side helped Misaki a lot in the battle, since she was already tired from the last battle and of this day in general, but she know It wasn't enough. She could feel her movements getting heavier, maybe she wouldn't resist until th-. "Tsk!" 

Taking advantage of Misaki's reduced speed, Eve was able to find a gap in her defense, giving a blow that destabilized the cane user. Not letting that opportunity slip away, Eve succeeded her attack with a second katana swing aiming her opponent's neck, but Misaki managed to block the attack in the last seconds, falling on the floor when losing her balance.

"Okusawa-san!" Maya rushed to attack Eve from behind to help her friend, but her metal bar was easily blocked by the white-haired warrior, that see Maya's movements nothing more than child's play. Swing after swing, Eve was putting pressure against Maya, that could barely defend herself. She keep doing It until the drummer loose her grip and she managed to disarm her, sending the iron bar flying away.

Maya was scared, she was disarmed and she has no way to protect herself from an attack, so she keep walking back while Eve was slowly following her. Eve was obviously just playing with her and Maya know It, that means she still have a chance to leave alive from this situation.

As she kept walking back, Maya felt that she stepped into something hard under the thin snow, she don't know what It is but she's not in a position to refuse any bet. Maya then quickly crouched and picked the misterious object that turned to be a wooden plank. It can looks that It's not a big deal but at least she have a way to fight back again.

"This time I won't let yo-" When Maya just entered in guard positon and was declaring that she woudn't lose anymore, Eve swinged her katana and sliced the plank in half, like It was just a nuisance for her attack. Maya could see the blade getting closer and closer to her face and she know that she woudn't be fast enough to dodge It, the only thing she could do now is accept death.

Having already said goodbye to her life, Maya suddenly felt a hand pushing her out of reach of Eve's attack. With her life saved, Maya looked at her side and saw that Misaki was the one who saved her, but-. "Okusawa-san, are you alright!?!"

"I'm fine, It's not a big deal." Misaki said she was fine but anyone could see that she do not left unscathed from the last attack, sice she had a cut in the middle of her left eyebrow that extends to the side of her eye, going over the top of the eyelid in the process. The cut is also bleeding a considerable amount, but It doesn't look a deep wound at least. "The time finally arrived, so we need to focus in our plan, this cut is a afterbattle matter."

Maya just nodded, she know that they can't fail here, so If Misaki say she's fine for now, she's fine for now.

Eve was fiding the current situation really strange. She just cut in half the weapon of one of her opponents and slashed the face of the other one, but for some reason, they were smiling. At this moment, Eve saw that Misaki was starting to move so she prepared her defense, but instead of moving forward, Misaki threw a snowball at Eve, who was caught completely off guard.

Cleaning her face, Eve saw that Misaki was already on her side and was about to attack with her cane but she managed to dodge It, but she still can't lower her guard. When she just avoided being hitted by Misaki, Maya was already waiting for Eve, throwing the pieces of the plank towards her. The keyboardist also dodged It, but she didn't know that It would mean her end.

As Eve dodged the second attack, she saw both Maya and Misaki with a grin on their faces, then she finally understood what they were doing. When Eve looked back, she saw pink treads dancing in the wind, dancing a beautiful but dangerous melody.

"Eve-chan~!!!" Aya finally joined the battle. She had been hiding nearby until now, waiting the perfect chance to attack that Maya and Misaki were creating to make Aya's attack impossible to avoid. It means that this battle already reached It's end... If wasn't Aya the one to give the finish blow, of course.

"Eeh?" When she was only a few steps to end this battle, Aya stumbled and lost her balance, making starting to fall. This unforeseen created a golden opportunity to Eve get away from the three of them and get out of this disadvantageous situation.

"I won't let you!"

The moment that Eve avoided being on the path of Aya's fall and was trying to get away, suddenly a cane came flying and passed almost hitting her head, preventing her from escaping. She knew that It was Misaki cane that was thrown but It came from Aya's direction, It can only mean that she moved there shortly after her first attack, but what does she intend to do?

This being the last chance to end Eve rampage, Misaki can't let her escape, so she jumped on the top of the falling Aya to reach Eve before she could do something. Getting impulse for stepping on the idol's head, Misaki approached Eve from above with her right leg raised and gave a powerful axe kick right on the back of Eve's parietal region of the head, that threw her head down at a incredible speed and make her face to hit the ground with a tremendous strength, knocking her out in a instant.

"*Pant* W-we *Pant* did It" Having landed on the ground, Misaki was completely out of breath, celebrating theirvictory even without being able to get up.

"Okusawa-san, are you alright?" Maya asked while approaching Misaki. "We need to treat this wound, can you wait until I came back with a first aid kit or It's better call an ambulance?"

"My eye is fine but I can't open It because of the wound, despite the volume of blood that came out, It's not a deep one so a first aid kit is enough."

"I'm glad to hear that, but what about Eve-san?" They both looked at Eve, that was lying completely motionless with her face burried in the ground. "Is... She alive?"

"There's only way to find out." Misaki then turned Eve. "She looks alive, but... The bump on the forehead doesn't look good."

"I will try to bring a ice bag too. I'm relieved that only two of us got hurt in an intense fight like that one. It could have ended up much worse."

"Did you forgot about me!?" Aya finally lifted her head from the ground also with a bump on the forehead. "Misaki-chan, you're too mean! Why did stepped in my head? It threw my face directly against the ground, and It wasn't even the part with snow. And how we gonna do the handshaking event with two of the idol having bumps in their heads?!"

"Honestly, I was already expecting that you would fail or miss the last blow, so using you as a Yoshi to reach Wakamiya-san was already planned.

"Eeeeeh?!!

"Aya-san, calm down, It was just a backup plan If something gone wrong, so don't take Okusawa-san joke too seriously. And about the event, remember that the producer said that we're going to wear snow clothes to match the blizzard that happened last night. You two just need to wear a beanie to hide those bumps."

"What a relief..." Aya finally relaxed since the start of Eve's rampage, knowing that the event would be fine.

* * *

"It's really necessary to cover my face that way?"

"Yes, It is. You can't even open your left eye, so what's the difference of whether It is covered or not."

"It's bad in a esthetic way."

"I thought you was the type who don't care to much about It."

"And I don't, but I don't think a bandaged eye is a good match with the rest of my looks. I woudn't be surprised If the police ask me for a talk."

"I can't deny that."

Maya was wrapping Misaki's wound with bandages after she already had treated It. Misaki ,on another hand, just accepted that she looks like even more as some kind of psychopath who covers themself in bandages.

"That's not all bad, Misaki-chan. Think It as some kind of Gap Moe, you can even had this menacing look, but as soon you talk to someone they will realize you are a nice person." Said Aya while holding a ice bag against her forehead.

"I don't know If It will work like that. Gap Moe is more a Roselia thing, isn't It."

"That's true... But I bet that Kokoro-chan and Hina-chan could find some positive sides of your look."

"Kokoro find a positive side in everthing and I bet that Hina-san would only tell me how to use my appearance in a questionable way. But talking about Hina-san." Misaki put a hand in her pocket, took a small black box from the inside and threw It for Aya. "Hina-san asked me to give It to you."

"A present from Hina-chan? I need to open It right no- Kyaaaaa!" The moment Aya opened the box, a plastic snake jumped out, scaring her by surprise.

"Why It had to be a prank?!" Aya said in a frustrated tone.

"We're talking about Hina-san, a snake in a box is the least what you could expect from her." Maya is still surprised about how Aya never cease to be caught by Hina's pranks.

"Wait, there's a message inside." Aya picked a piece of paper that she found inside the box and started to read It. For each word she read, the redder her face got. "Hina-chan, you trully is..." Aya let out a sigh that only someone in love could do.

Misaki was silently watching the girl in love beside her for some seconds, but then she sighed and commented about the scene in front of her. "To make her girlfriend who she just pranked sigh like that by just reading a message, Hina-san sure is a outstanding individual."

"Hmmm... Hmm... Hm! W-Why I'm lying on the ground? Why Aya-san, Maya-san and Misaki-san are here? And why my head and my stomach are hurting so much?" Eve finally woke up, having been awakened by Aya's scream. She was really confused right now, since the last thing she remember is that she just had arrived at the event and her consciousness suddenly went out.

"You look confused, Eve-san. Relax that we gonna explain everyhing to you." Maya acted quick and tranquilized Eve before she had a bad reaction.

So they told to Eve about how she drank to much and It affeted her mind, how she tried kill them with a katana and how they managed to defeat her and bring her back.

"I'm trully sorry! I never meant to hurt any of you. Look what I did with Misaki-san." Eve was apologizing for what happened while doing a dogeza.

"Actually, you did almost nothing, I was already hurt when I arrived here." Misaki replied, trying to clear the misunderstanding.

"We know that It wasn't your fault, Eve-chan, you don't need to worry about It."

"No, I do not deserve your pardon. The only thing I can do to me to redeem myself is seppuku!" Eve then took a wakizashi out of nowhere and tried to commit seppuku, but she was stopped by six hands holding her arms.

"That's too much!!!" Said the other three at the same time.

Took some time, but they finally made Eve feel at least less guilty about what happened, avoidind her to do her last bushido act of her life.

After everthing was settled and everyone calmed down, Misaki finally could do what she came here for. "Wakamiya-san, can you please tell me the last thing you remember about last night before you entered your home?"

"I was really sleepy at that time, but I think I remember when we were already in the front of my house, Arisa-san said that she needed to take another way to her house, then Moca-san said she would take care of you, why do you ask?"

"Many things happened, those two can explain to you later. But from what you just said, the one I should go after must be Aoba-san, but how can I find her..."

"Misaki-san, my mind have been kinda blurry since morning, but I'm sure that I saw from far away Moca-san and Ako-san talking with each other while I was on my way to the event."

"Ako-san, right?... Thank you very much, Wakamiya-san. Now I know my next destination."

"You don't need to thank me, I'm not even close to repay what I did with you."

"Maruyama-san, Yamato-san, can you two help me get off the ground? My back will die If I do It by myself." Said Misaki while lifting both arms. The two of them then picked Misaki hands and pulled her from the ground. "Thanks, I'm need to go right now, It was good to meet you three."

"Misaki-chan, wait." Before that Misaki could turn around, Aya grabbed her shoulder. "Before I left home to go to the event, my mother told me that there's a dangerous person around the region. The police is still searching about this case, but they believe that this person killed more than one person last night, so please take care."

Misaki gulped, the thought of meeting a killer while she's walking in the streets is really scary, now she's glad that the one she found while she was lying on the street was Mrs.Kamiya, she was a dubious person but at least not a dangerous one.

"I see, I will go to a more crowded place right now so I don't think something will happen, but I will be careful even so."

"Wish you luck to jour journey then."

"I hope that the event will be a success too." Misaki then se said goodbye to her friends and finally went to her new destination, where she can find some clues about Moca whereabouts. But first, she will need to take a bus to go there, because her back is finally receiving the effects of the battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only realized this chapter had become something that came out from a battle shounen only after ending It, but It was funny to write and I think I managed to tell what I wanted. I hope you all enjoyed to read this chapter and this mystery. Oh! And happy new year.


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